SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2123, 24 February 1908, Page 1

SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS.

'I'M.Ill NEAV REGULATIONS. DEFINITIONS AND STANDARDS. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Fell. 20. Regulations under Die “Sale of Food and Drill's Act,” passed last- session', have boon Iramed, and will conic into force on the first of next month. The following particulars regarding some of the principal foods, etc, will he read with considerable interest. BREAD. The definition of bread is ‘‘a porous food substance obtained by moistening and halving Hour, with provision fur the mechanical separation of the dough by air, or carbonic acid gas. Standard bread shall contain not more than one-lillh (0.2) per cent of ash insoluble in acid, and in tlio crumb substance (exclusive of crust), not more than forty (-10) per cent of water. The addition of alum, or other foreign substance to dough, or to broad is hereby prohibited. PRESERVED FRUITS. 'l'lie standard of preserved fruit is any sound fruit, or fruit substances,; preserved in a dry or syrup fruit'; juice or water. The addition .of . cyclic acid, boric acid, benzoic acid,

or other preservative substance (except sugar) lo preserved fruit, or to the medium in which it is preserved, is hereby prohibited. ' COFFEE. The definition of coffee is the seed of tlio colfeo arabiea, or the coffee Liborica Standard grown roasted colfeo shall contain not less than ten (10) per cent of fat, or more than one (l) per cent of saccharine matter, not more than six ((3) per cent of ash, of which the proportion of soluble ash shall not lie less than seventy-five (75) per cent, and shall contain no chicory. Coffee and chicory is any compound of coffee and chicory containing less than fifty (50) per cent of coffee, and chicory and coffee is any compound of chicory and coffee containing not loss Ilian fifty (50 per cent of coffee. The addition of any foreign substance (including starch) to coffee, or to coffee and chicory, is hereby prohibited. COCOA AND COCOA PRODUCT. The definition of cocoa beans is that they are the seeds of the cocoa treo (theobroma cacao) cocoa nibor. Cracked cocoa is the roasted broken cocoa which lias been freed from the shell or husk, with or without the germ. The definition of cocoa mass, or cocoa slab, is the sol'd or plastic mass, obtained by grinding cocoa- nib. Standard cocoa mass or cocoa slab shall contain not less than forty-five (45) per cent of cocoa fat, not moro than twelve (12) per cent of starch natural to cocoa, not more than three and a half (3j) per cent of crudo fibre not- more than four and one-half (41) per cent of total mass, and not more than three (3) per cent of ash insoluble in water. The proportion of iron estimated as ferric oxide in the total ash shall not exceed one-fifth 1-5) per cent. 'The definition of cliocolato or sweet cocoa mass, or confectioners’ chocolate or chocolate coating is a cocoa mass mixed with sugar, with or without the addition or tlio subtraction of cocoa fat, and with or without- the ' addition of spices or other flavoring substances. Standard chocolate or sweet cocoa mass or confectioners’ chocolate or chocolate coating shall contain in the sugar anil fat free residue no higher proportion of starch, or fibre, or ash, than is found an the fat free residue of standard cocoa mass.

The definition of cocoa, or powdered cocoa, or cocoa essence, is cocoa nib, deprived of a portion of its fat and finely pulverised. The standard of cocoa, powdered cocoa, or cocoa essence shall contain after correction for cocoa fat removed no higher proportion of starch, or fibre, or ash, tliuu the standard of cocoa mass. The definition of granulated or ground chocolate, or chocolate powder is a compound of cocoa mass, with sugar. The standard of granulated or ground chocolate, or chocolate powder shall contain in the sugar and fat free residue no higher proportion of starch or crude fibre or ash than standard cocoa mass, and shall contain not more than fifty (50) per cent of sugar. The definition of prepared cocoa, or homoeopathic cocoa, or sweetened cocoa is a mixture of cocoa mass, with sugar or starch or with both. Standard prepnred_cocoa or homoeopathic cocoa, or sweetened cocoa, shall contain not less than forty (40) per cent of cocoa mass, and not more than sixty (GO) per cent of added farinaceous matter and sugar, or shall bo compounded of cocoa mass, with sugar or farinaceous matter, or with both, in the proptortion declared on the label accompanying any package of any such article, and shall, after correction for fat and starch removed, contain .in the sugar and fat- and starch free residue no higher proportion of fibre or ash than standard cocoa mass. The addition of prepared cocoa, or homoeopathic cocoa, or sweotened cocoa, of any foreign coloring matter is hereby prohibited. The definition of soluble cocoa or soluble cocoa essence is cocoa treated with alkaline salts. Standard soluble cocoa, or soluble cocoa essence, shall contain not more than three (3) per cent of added alkali or alkaline salts, estimated as potassium carbonate, and after correction for removed fat and added alkali, shall contain no higher proportion of starch or fibre or ash than standard cocoa mass. The addition of cocoa husk, or weighting substance, or foreign fat, or paraffin, or other injurious substance to cocoa, or to anv produce is hereby prohibited. TEA. The definition of tea is the leaves and leaf buds of various species of tea prepared by the usual trade processes. Standard tea shall not yield moro than seven (7) per cent nor less than lour (I) per cent of ash, of which at least one-half shall be soluble in water. It shall yield at least thirty (30) per cent of extract, and it shall not contain spurious, .or exhausted. or decayed, or mouldy leaves or stalks, or any ’Prussian blue, or lead, or other matter, tor facing, or for any other purpose. 11 described or sold as the product of any country or district, it must he the product of the country or district so specified.

MILK. ' Tho definition of milk is the fresh clean lacteal secretion obtained by tiic complete milking of one or more healthy cows, properly ed mid kepi), excluding that, obtained fifteen days before and ten days after calving. Standard milk shall not contain less than twelve (121 per cent of total solids, not less than eight and onehnli (8‘) per rout oi solids not lut, not less than three and one-quarter (fP) per cent ol tatty solids (milk fats'), and not more than one (11 per cent of ash. The addition ol water to milk is hereby prohibited.

BRANDY, WHISKY, RUM, AND GIN. Standard brandy, whisky, and ruin shall contain not less than seventyfive (75) per cent of proof spirit, and gin shall contain not. less than sixtylive (Go) per cent of proof spirit, ■ JAM AND MARMALADE. The definition of jam or marmalade is an article of food obtained by boiling sound, whole fruit with sugar. Whole fruit may include ginger or similar substances, or fruit which has ben deprived of its rind or pericarp, or stone, or seed. Standard jam nr marmalade shall contain no vegetable .substance other than sound whole fruits, or fruits of the variety or varieties designated, nor any preservative snhstaneo other than sugar, nor any foreign substance of the nature of gelatine, or starch jolly, nor any foreign flavoring substance, nor any glucose other than standard glucose. The definition of mixed or compounded jam or marmalade is an article ol food obtained by boiling with sugar two or more varieties of sound, whole fruit. Standard mixed, or mixed jam or marmaiatle shall contain no vegetable substance other than that derived from the sound, whole fruits of the varieties designated, and shall contain not. less than fifty (50) per cent, of the fruit of the variety first flamed on the label attached to any package of the. compound.