BORACIC ACID IN BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 10, 6 October 1927, Page 6

BORACIC ACID IN BUTTER

PROHIBITION ON EXPORT WHAT OF LOCAL MARKETS? In view of tbo fact that by far the larger proportion of the Dominion's butter is exported to tho United Kingdom, a good deal of interest attaches to tho decision oi tho British Government to prohibit, as from January 1 next, tho importation into Britain of any butter containing boracic acid preservative. The public health authorities in the Old Country claim that it. is in the interests of public health that no boric preservatives should bo used in foodstuffs, and tho now law brings tho pure food regulations into line with those of America and other countries, more particularly as regards butter. Both the Dairy Division and the Health Department in New Zealand favour tho prohibition ol boric preservatives, and the question arises as to what the Dominion authorities intend to do regarding the sale of butter for domestic consumption. At present tho law permits a maximum of 20 grains per pound of butter. Prior to 1921 the regulations permitted as much as 35 grains. Up to within the last tew years many of those engaged tn the New Zealand butter trade were strongly opposed to any prohibition of lioric preservative in butter but that opposition appears to have been broken down, as quite a number ot tho largest exporters from 'ho Dominion have for -a considerable time banished tho use of boric preservative in butter exported to Great Britain, demonstrating that a. wholesome and firstclass product can lie manufactured free from the preservative in question. The Minister of Health, approached on the question of prohibiting boric preservative in butter distributed tor consumption within tho Dominion, stated yesterday that among industrial chemists there appeared to bo quite a difference of opinion as to whether foodstuffs containing boric acid in small quantities were any detriment to tho health of tho people. On the other band public health medical authorities claimed that it was not so much the use of a small quantity of tho preservative in any one particular food that counted, but it- was the cumulative effect of the use of preservatives in a number of foods that constituted a menace to health. The Minister said ho now had under consideration the question of as to whether tho sale in New Zealand of butter containing boric acid should bo prohibited. While it might bo argued that tho quantity permitted was perfectly harmless, it was claimed that there was iust the danger, in the use of chemical preservatives in food, that they wore calculated to conceal or suspend deterioration which had already sot in, and thus it would be possible for unwholesome foodstuffs to bo loaded on to tho markets. Should the Government decide that tho regulations should be amended along tho lines of the British Pure Food law so far as butter was concerned, it would mean that all butter consumed locally would be free from boric acid, us it mostly was now, and as was the exported article. In a recent report furnished to the British Ministry of Health by the Committee on the Use of Preservatives and Colouring Matters in Food, which preceded the present legislation in Bngland, it was stated, inter alia: “Wo have given a great deal of consideration to tho question whether preservatives arc necessary in the case of butter, which is sent to this country fre Australia, New Zealand, and the Argentine. It is clear that some butter comes from all these countries without preservatives. Tn 1922-23 samples, representing 9095 boxes of Now Zealand butter, were free from boric acid, these being 27 per cent, of the total amount sampled. Confirmation of the New Zealand figures was obtained from the New Zealand Department of Agriculture which informed us that out of (10.000 tons of butter exported in 1923, 12.730 tons camo from factories using no preservatives. In addition, creameries using preservatives sometimes sent out butter without preservatives in response to specific orders for such butter Tho representative from tho High Commissioner's Ollice stated that of the 350 butter factories in New Zealand, J 5. or 10 per cent., used no preservative whatever, and he gave it as his opinion, as a dairy expert, that the addition of preservatives to New Zealand butter was not necessary. Butter i-ent to the United States from New Zealand is required by the American law to be free from preservatives. From these facts it would seem reasonable to infer that it would be possible to dispense with preservatives in all consignments of butter from New Zealand." Inquiries made at tho Health Department show that New Zealand compares very favourably with any other country insofar as the. inspection and prevention of adulteration in foodstuffs are concerned, and in the general activities employed towards safeguarding the wholesomencss and freedom from contamination of foods in everyday use. Sir George Newman, Chief Medical Oificer of the British Ministry of Health, recentlv reported that the New Zealand Government bad carried out a rigidly-controlled and searching experiment on tho relative qualities of butter treated with one-half per cent, of boric acid and butter without that preservative Tn some instances the preserved . butter kept slightly better than the unpreserved, and in other cases the advantage rested with tho unpreserved butter; but in all cases the differences were so small as to lead to the conclusion that the presence or absence of preservative made very little practical difference one way or the other in tho keeping quality of the butter.