BUTCHER FINED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 91, 19 April 1939, Page 17

BUTCHER FINED

TOO MUCH PRESERVATIVE

DEPARTMENT CRITICISED

The Health Department's procedure in a prosecution under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act was criticised by Mr. W. P. Coles in the Petone Court today.

Frederick Reed, butcher, of Petone,: pleaded guilty to a charge of selling sausages containing more than the prescribed amount of preservative. Inspector S. P. Pushman gave evidence that he bought sausages for analysis at the defendant's shop. An analysis showed that the sausages contained 15.8 grains of sulphur dioxide, which was over four times the maximum amount of 3.5 grains prescribed by the Act. This would mean that the sausages could be kept longer than otherwise, and that people eating them might be subject to digestive troubles. In response to a question by Mr. Coles, witness said that probably the delay in advising the defendant of the breach was due to holidays in the Department. The offence was regarded as a serious one.

Mr. Coles informed the Court that, though the sausages were purchased on January 19, it was not until March 22 that the defendant was advised that his sausages did not comply with the regulations. When the sausages were bought the inspector informed the defendant that they would be analysed, a,nd returned two of them. These were kept in a jar. The defendant did not think it necessary to have them analysed at the time. When he received notification that the sausages contained ■ too much preservative, the defendant showed the two sausages to counsel. At that xtime they were shrivelled to the size of small cocktail sausages, and were covered with a fine moss. The offence could not have been serious, as the sausages were sold over a number of years without ill effect. Four times the maximum amount seemed a lot, but such was hardly the case when the measurement was carried out in grains. A fine of £2 and costs was imposed.