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had decided to issue an Order as an interim measure. The Board
further stated in the circular (1) that the proposed enquiry might
show that the limit of boric acid in cream should be less than the
maximum fixed by the regulations as amended, (2) that dealers in
this article should make every effort to reduce the preservative to
the smallest possible amount or even to dispense with its use
entirely, and (3) that the Department must not be regarded as
having decided the question as to whether the amount of boric
acid specified in the amended Regulations was or was not injurious
to the consumer.
It is a regrettable fact that though six years have elapsed since
the issue of the Order and the accompanying circular, no steps
appear to have been taken to proceed with the proposed enquiry.
The question of the use of preservatives in cream is, having
regard to the importance of this article of food in the case of infants
and invalids, a most urgent one. The Departmental Committee
report on the use of preservatives and colouring matters in food
recommended that the amount of boron preservative permitted
in cream should not exceed .25 per cent., or slightly more than half
that fixed by the Amended Regulations.
The effect of these Regulations has been to embarrass and
otherwise render administratively difficult the duty of Sanitary
Authorities under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts in their efforts
to protect the public from the risk of injury to health from the use
of preservatives in cream. The need is therefore urgent for the
holding of an enquiry into the use of preservatives not only in cream
but in the case of other foodstuffs as well, and the Council decided
in September to support the action of Kensington Borough Council
in the representations in this direction which they made to the
Ministry of Health on the question of preservatives in cream.

2. Cream sold as preserved cream:-
(a) Samples submitted for analysis to ascertain if the
statements on the labels as to preservatives were
correct :-
1. Correct statements made 17
2. Statements incorrect Nil
Total 17