FOOD TESTING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 10, 11 July 1912, Page 2

FOOD TESTING

, short-Weight butter. Further tests of foodstuffs were carried out by the Coat of Living Commission^ yesterda-jj. A retail grocer, who had previously given evidence, handed the Commieeion a pound of butter, which her had bought in on© of the city shops, alleging' that if weighed, it would bo found to contain less than 16 ounces. The,'Commi«ion asked th«> Agricultural Department to allow one of its oxperte to carry out the test, and Mr. W. G. Gwillun, Dairy Produce Grader, was eenb with, proper apparatus. 'An" official was also despatch 6a to secure a /pound of all the brands of butter he could secure. Being Wednesday afternoon, he could only get two other brands. ' . The pound pat handed in by the grocer was found to be If "ounces short of the' pound net, or 1£ ounces short, including the weight of the wrapper. A Defiance pound ' was found to contain one pound without the wrapper, and Primrose full weight with , the 1 wrapper. • 'Four pounds of candles weighed were found to, all 'contain full , gross weight. It -was the gross weight upon which they' were sold. One" English pound package Went full weight net. The departmental expert then tested two" of the 1 butter pats for moisture con-, tents. Sixteen per cent, is allowed. His scales were very delicate: He placed a small quantity of the butter ■ in a littl© •metal- receptacle) which he first weighed, then evaporated off the water, weighed the butter-fat ; again,and judged the difference in weight. on«> pat contained 12.4 per cent? water, and the other one tested 14 per ceftt. This was considered .very satisfactory. ■ ■It is probable the Commission will either undertake, or- advise, a thorough and systematic investigation of most foodstuffs on the market. Members consider tliere is sufficient evidence to- war-; xant this.