ARSENIC IN FOODS

Evening Star, Issue 18281, 22 May 1923, Page 10

ARSENIC IN FOODS

AN ALARMING INCREASE. The public will be alarmed at a statement made by the Chief Health Officer (Dr Robertson) at the meeting of the Health Commission (says the Melbourne ‘Ago’) that a great deal too much arsenic_ is being put into prepared foods, and it is possible for a person to die of eating several foods containing arsenic. Tho mattor came up through tho reading of a report from the secretary of Kyneton Share that cream of tartar purchaised by an inspector from a Kyneton grocer* and analysed, showed an excess of arsenic. The arsenic content was 3-100ths grain per lb, which is three times tho allowed amount. On the importers of the cream of tartar being communicated with, they stated that the, commodity in question had passed tho Commonwealth authorities before it was allowed into Australia; -and that in many countries it was permitted to sell oven drugs, the purity of which must be above suspicion, with l-15th grain of arsenic per lb as an accidental admixture. They -were, therefore, justified in assuming that if this l-15th was harmless, the very much smaller amount in the cream of tartar in question was also innocuous. Dr Robertson said we were getting arsenic in too many foods. There were about thirteen of them which contained the poison. Tho importers said a prosecution would affect the business of a returned soldier, but it was not the returned soldier who was to blame. They might ask, Why not take action against the wholesale firm? but tho latter only sold in bulk to the retail firm. The amount of arsenic in foods was getting a little over the fence. If a man wanted to poison his mother-in-law he could do so by giving her certain foods containing arsenic, because arsenic was a cumulative poison. The public should demand arsenic-free foods. From, the forensic. point of view one would have to be very careful if arsenic were found in the stomach of a person who died in suspicious circumstances. The importers said tno small amount of arsenic in the cream of tartar was harmless. That might bo so, but if a person were taking arsenic unknowingly in several foods the result might he fatal. Tho time would come when the stomach of a person killed by a blow on the head would be found to contain arsenic. He thought the public ought to know that arsenic was present in some foods to an extent it did not realise. Tho public was entitled to ask for nrsenic-free foods.

Cr Curnow: How are you going to prevent arsenic in foods? Dr Robertson: The manufacturers are responsible. They are not purifying the foods sufficiently. The Kyneton people want to know what to do. but the local man is not to blame in the slightest. Mr Wilks: Will you ask the importers to withdraw the cream of tartar from the market? Dr Robertson said ho thought the Customs might do that, and it was resolved to adopt that course. If, as was stated, the Commonwealth authorities allowed this cream of larta <• to enter the • Commonwealth, somebody has neglected his duty. The matter shoo; ■ he inquired into.