DOMINION ANALYST

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1925, Page 3

DOMINION ANALYST

INTERESTING report

WELLINGTON', April 18

All sorts of queer tilings engage the. ■is nose investigation of the Dominion Analyst, and he makes some astonishing discoveries, that is as the public would regard them. Kor himself, with the cold detachment of the scientific il- ini estigator, he goes to work with Bunsen II ame and retort, and deals with the facts. He leaves the other issues to those directly concerned. In his report lor 1.92:), just published, lie shows ic how he dealt with samples of liquor, i- meditated wine, and horse medicines r- submitted by the police. He discovered ;C that the medicines contained ingredii- cuts that were much under British I- pharma-cutical .strength. Tint it has to ii he borne in mind that they were for administration to equine fulicnts. Same pics cl hori;-. acid and cream of tartar, n submitted by the Customs wore found i- t.i contain “more than the amounts of .- lead or of arsenic” permitted under the - Sale ol Fund and Drugs Act. "In consequence cf the detection last year cf small amounts of arsenic in beer,” reports the Analyst. ‘\x:imi ies Wore examined from every liiewerv in r the Dominion. The permissible limit, 1 (ii;e-huntli’edtli of a grain of nrseiiious 1 oxide per gallon, was t-xtceded in three eases only, and in these steps were a.t unco taken to effect a re: medv.

“\ nrious consignments of boric aoh were, also examined for arsenic, which in two cases exceeded the standard.’ SUSPECTED SAUSAGES. Dr. .Mael-aiirin reports that inspectors under the Sale of Feeds and DrugAct were active during the year, mu fur"ardc-d :t great variety of fondstiilfand some medicinal ureparations fo: analysis. The list comprised apples beer, boric- acid, lire ul. Initier. carbon ate of potash, carbonate of soda, corned beef. Bartlett pears, cheese, cherries chocolate creams cocoa, c utfce. and chicory. condensed milk, cordials, cream cream cd' tartar, custard-powder, drier figs, fish, rag llot-k, Ilnur, lly-extermi-nntor, ground c-o-ui-shell, honey, ico cream, invert uigar. jam, jelly, lemon nclc- liquors, liquid paraffin. malt-ex tract, oatmeal, olive-oil. oysters, pep per, potassium-iodide' tablet, raspherrj pulp, salmon, salt, .sausages, semolina tea. tomato-sauce, vunilln-e-sence, vinegar. wheats, whitebait, white-bail pro s.crvative. table-cream.'. -.yi’iic. ANCIENT CANNED GOODS. The liquors analysed cemplicd with the regulations, with the exception of some alleged schnapps, which showed considerable variation from the genuine schnapps. Several samples of ice cream were deficient in milk fat. Preservative's were detected in tomato same, boor and whitebait. Artificial colours were found occasionally in jams, cordial'. and other foodstuffs in which their U't- in contrary to regulations. The canned goods examined were- cbirtly from sl-oeks seized by inspectors as unfit for consumption, and were almost invariably found to be rlfcc ted by prolonged .storage, or to show signs of decern; ositiem. WATER LOGGED BUTTER. Spend attention was paid t - butter, of which samnles were re-c-ived during ihe vc-iii'. Throe contained a slight cx--■rss of water, end thirteen a dc-c-cclcc! excess. “The highest percentage of found was 21.0. representing illegitimate profit cf approximately Id per pound. Mere frequent inspection is required to die: k this quite common form of adulleraticni.'’ remarks Dr. Abu-Lau-rin. The number of sa.m'des cf milk taken during the year under the Sale of food and Drugs-Vet and analysed in the- laboratory was 2T2T