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Analytical Laboratory,
Vestry Hall Padding ton Green, W.,
July 12 th, 1892.
To the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.
Chairman and Gentlemen,
During the Quarter ending June 24th, 1892, I have received
from your Inspectors 41 samples of food for analysis.
These consisted of Milk, 27 samples; Butter, 7; Condensed Milk,
3; Mustard, 2; and Pepper, 2. Of these, 13 samples of Milk and 3
of Butter proved to be adulterated. In the case of the Milk samples,
where the adulteration was but slight, the Sanitary Committee thought
it advisable merely to caution the offenders; but in 9 cases proceedings
were taken, and wore very successfully carried through by your Inspectors,
fines ranging from 5s. to £3 being imposed. It is difficult to
understand on what basis the Magistrates impose fines, seeing that, for
adding 30 per cent. of water to Milk, the vendor was fined only 5s.;
while another vendor, who diluted his sample with but 10 per cent. of
water, was fined £3.
the proportion of adulterated Milk samples this quarter is very
high, no less than 48 per cent. of the samples being adulterated.
In an adulterated Milk case, No. not decided last quarter, but
settled this quarter, the vendor appealed to the Somerset House
Chemists. They upheld my analysis, and the vendor was fined £10
and costs.
Of the 3 adulterated samples of Butter, 1 was obtained from the
Workhouse, and was found to contain only 10 per cent. of real Butter,
the rest being beef fat, water, and salt. Not being taken under the
requirements of the Food and Drugs Adulteration Act, no prosecution
could bo instituted. the fact, however, shows the necessity of looking
into the purity of the food supplied to largo institutions, where too
frequently the adulteration is wholesale in its character upon these
who cannot protect themselves. The vendors of the other 2 samples
of adulterated Butter, containing only 25 and 46 per cent. respectively
of real Butter, were fined £11 and £15 each. In all the above cases
the fines carried with them also costs, in two cases the cost of the
analysis being also imposed; so that this quarter a total sum of
£46 14s. 6d. has been ordered to be paid into the Vestry's account.
Appending a Tabulated Report of each analysis,
I remain,
Your obedient Servant,
ALF. W. STOKES, F.C.S., F.I.C.,
Public Analyst.