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(3) that with certain specified exceptions premises where artificial cream
is manufactured or sold must be registered; and (4) that cream or artificial
cream sold on registered premises shall be presumed to be artificial cream
unless the contrary is proved.
In this Act "Artificial cream" means "an article of food resembling
cream and containing no ingredient which is not derived from milk except
water or any ingredient or material which may lawfully be contained in an
article sold as cream."
Note.—Reconstituted or artificial cream is indistinguishable from ordinary
cream, either directly to the taste or when used in tea, etc., and it is manufactured
in considerable quantity. It is made from dried separated milk, saltless
butter and water combined in correct proportions so that the finished product
contains about 50 per cent. of butter fat.
The Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act 1928.
This Act, which came into force on January 1st, 1929, is described as
an "Act to consolidate the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts." Since the first
Food and Drugs Act in 1875 numerous Acts and Regulations safeguarding
the purity of food have been introduced and it was hoped that the older
Acts which contain many defects would be amended according to modern
knowledge and requirements, and together with the many new Regulations
would be consolidated to form one Act.
Some obvious instances where legislation is required are:—
(1) Misdescription of articles of food.—Custard powder and egg
powder may have none of the constituents of either custard
or egg.
(2) Labelling of mixed articles.—Very small print is used to deceive
the public.
(3) Standards of composition.—There are no standards of composition
for cheese, cream, cream cheese, etc.
Unfortunately the consolidating Act now passed does not bring under
one Act all the Acts and Regulations which concern public analysts and all
interested in the production and control of food, and further the Act contains
a number of inconsistencies and contradictions which should have been
corrected, and in addition many defects of the old Acts are perpetuated.