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46
Butter Factories and Wholesale Dealers in Margarine.
Under Section 8 of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act,
1928, butter factories and wholesale dealers in margarine have to
be registered by the Local Authority. At the end of the year the
register contained the names of 22 wholesale dealers registered
for the sale of this article.
Milk.
During the year 538 formal samples of milk (including 2
formal samples of separated milk) were submitted for analysis.
Of this number 13 were adulterated, the percentage of adulteration
being 2.42.
As will be seen by reference to Table D this figure is higher
than that of last year.
In 11 instances the adulteration was due to the abstraction
of fat, and 2 in consequence of added water.
In 5 of the cases of "abstraction" (where the article was
served from a quart bottle) the deficiency was undoubtedly due
to the failure on the part of the vendors to thoroughly mix the
contents of the bottles at the time of serving. Unless this is done
the first customer to be served will of necessity receive the bulk of
the fat content. This is what occurred in the cases referred to,
and consequently the official sample was deficient in the amount
of fat content that should have been present.
These cases continue to occur, despite the fact that shopkeepers
have been repeatedly advised as to the best methods
to adopt, when retailing milk under these conditions, to ensure
the article being thoroughly mixed before supplying their
customers.
The vendor of Sample No. 227 (milk adulterated by the
addition of 25 per cent. of added water) was an itinerant purveyor.
He was not registered for the sale of milk, nor was his name and
address inscribed upon the vehicle or receptacle. Further, the
name and address he gave were found to be fictitious. Instructions
were given for proceedings to be taken against this vendor
in respect of the above offences.
The summonses, however, could not be served, and a
warrant was therefore granted. After some difficulty he was
traced and arrested.
A conviction was obtained, the Court imposing fines amounting
to £5 10s., with an alternative of five weeks' imprisonment.
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915.
Section 6 of this Act provides that every person who sells
milk in any place of public resort shall have his name and address
conspicuously inscribed on his vehicle or receptacle. For failing
to comply with this requirement a purveyor of milk against whom
proceedings were taken was convicted and fined ten shillings.