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105
The Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking)
Act, 1931.
This Act came into force on 31st July, 1931 and is
to be taken as one with the Agricultural Produce
(Grading and Marking) Act, 1928, termed the principal
Act.
The primary object of the principal Act is to
encourage the standardisation of agricultural products
by enabling the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
to prescribe grade designations and grade designation
marks (National Marks) for articles of food and other
articles produced in the United Kingdom. National
Mark labels contain a map of England in black with a
circle in the centre enclosing the Union Jack and the
words " Produce of England and Wales " and " Empire
buying begins at home."
The aim of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries in bringing forward the National Mark scheme
was to promote and encourage home produce, so that
this country may capture and recover ground held by
imports, but notwithstanding their efforts the scheme
does not appear to have made rapid strides ; certainly
in Fulham it is not very popular and few traders in the
borough are selling graded goods marked with the
National Mark. The principal articles sold under the
scheme are beef, eggs, and apples. In a few cases the
traders are selling goods under the grade designations
without using the National Marks.
The designations and the national marks give a
guarantee of quality and there is a civil contract that
articles so designated or marked with the national
marks must conform to the standards laid down in
the Regulations relating to the article in question.
Although any person may use the grade designations,
only certain packers specially authorised by
the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries are allowed
to use the National Mark, and the National Mark
labels are supplied to the packers only by the Ministry.