View report page

127
A sample of Condensed Machine-Skimmed Milk
came under notice because of a fishy smell. This fishy
smell was due to some fish-product being taken by the
contributing cows. It was impossible from the analysis
to say whether they had got it in the form of fish meal
as food or of cod-liver oil as medicine. Either source
would be quite in accordance with modern handling of
cattle and the purchaser would suffer no damage. Fishy
odours due to various types of food, not only for cows
but also for stock being prepared for the butcher, for
pigs, and for poultry, are receiving considerable attention
from agricultural experts and discrimination in
selection of both fish meal and cod-liver oil is reducing
the incidence of the fishy taint.
Instances of what is probably misunderstanding 011
the part of vendors occur from time to time; thus in a
sample of Cayenne Pepper, 89% of the article was
exhausted of its valuable principles. Such exhausted
cayenne is commonly sold for feeding canaries but it is
not the quality to which a human consumer is entitled.
Attention was given to Canned Beans, in which
haricot beans are packed in tomato sauce with pork
(generally a small amount), because of the presence of
boric acid in some imported articles (two canned in
England were quite free from borates). This matter
was gone into very thoroughly during consultations with
the Medical Officer of Health and was left with the
possible explanation that the boric acid might have been
absorbed from the soil by the growing bean plants.
There was no instance during the six months where
objectionable or illegal colouring matters or significant
amounts of poisonous metals were present.
There are many other points 011 which comment
could be made if desired.