BORIC ACID IN BACON.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2613, 11 August 1928, Page 4

BORIC ACID IN BACON.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I am pleased to see that one . of the members of the House of Re-,£ oreseutatives lias tackled the Minister; far Health on this important question. Some twelve- months ago the Minister issued instructions prohibiting the use, of preservatives in the curing of bacon, the reason given for this restriction being that tlio medical advisers of the Department had declared the use of preservatives to be highly detrimental to the health of the people, and the gause of many digestive ailments. Recently these regulations Avere entirely lifted and the object of doing so was stated by the Hon. Minister to be that it Avas in the interests of the prig ;indust|ry. Now, When _ Ike is tackled in the House he says it is to give bacon curers an opportunity to find a isubstitute for the preservative, but it is well known that several firms in New Zealand do without it, so what are Ave to think? Is it because of political expediency? I know for a fact that the regulations were framed upon those of the British Ministry for Health, the head of which is Sir George Newman, a leading authority on su/oh matters as affecting the health of the people, and when we have mere politicians interfering in such important matters as this, and over-ride the advice of eminent medical' men, does it not give one furiously to think, and demand from them something more than such insincerity. Apparently the health of the people counts for nothing so long as the interests of certain people are /conserved. —I am, etc.,

A. BLACKMAN.