“TRIPE BLEACH”

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1940, Page 12

“TRIPE BLEACH”

WESTPORT BUTCHERS CHARGED. [per press association.] WESTPORT, September 18. When four butchers, Taylor and Stewart, J. Spillane, Roy Powell, and Henry Ellery were charged at the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, with adding a preservative substance (boric acid) to tripe in contravention of the Food and Drugs Act, 1928, their counsel, Mr M. B. Scully, complained of the Health Department not giving details of the analysis to the defence so that an answer might have been made to the charges. He also claimed that the charges were trivial,, as an independent analyist at Dunedin ruled that only three grains of boric acid was included to a pound of tripe when the mixture known as “tripe bleach,” oi’ “tripino,” was used to clean tripe, not-to preserve it, as alleged. Mr Scully said that this mixture had been used by Westport butchers for many years, and medical authorities ruled that the percentage of boric acid was not harmful to any person. Dr. I. D. Thomson said that the small percentage of boric acid in a pound of tripe could have no possible unhealthy effect, but would actually kill any bacteria present.

The Magistrate, who convicted the defendants and ordered them each to pay an analyist’s fee, said that as the product had been on the market for some years it was not altogether the fault of the butchers if they had been innocently using it, but there really was a technical breach. He thought that the regulation should be amended to permit the use of what was evidently a harmless concoction. RANGIORA* PROSECUTION. CHRISTCHURCH, September 18. A nominal fine of 10/- and an order to pay costs were imposed on Albert Edward Appleton, a butcher, of Woodend, when he pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court at Rangiora to-day, to a charge of selling tripe containing a prohibited preservative. Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., was on the Bench. Mr E. D. R. Smith appeared, for the defendant. Sergeant O. P. McEntee said that a Health Inspector had purchased some tripe from the defendant, and had forwarded it to the Government Analyst. The sample was found to contain a boron compound, which was prohibited. Mr Smith said that the defendant’s shop was regarded as a model. He had used the compound to produce a better colour in the tripe, and was not aware that it was an offence to do so.