THE ADULTERATION PREVENTION AGT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6818, 24 September 1883, Page 5

THE ADULTERATION PREVENTION AGT.

[BY TBLEGRAPH. —OWN CO-RESPONDENT. 1 Wellington, Saturday. It is essential that tradesmen should be acquainted with the provisions of the Adulteration Prevention Act passed last session, which comes into operation on the let December next. I have therefore made special efforts to procure an early copy, which I now summarise. The provisions are very stringent. Every baker must have his fall initials stamped in Roman letters not iees than an inch long upon every loaf baked by him or sold from his bakery, under penalty of £5 for every loaf sold without being eo stamped. He is also required, nnder the same penalty, to have the true weightof the loaf similarly stamped upon it in figures of like size. There ia an ' equal peualty on every person offering for sale in any shop, store, or building, or in any street or open plane of public resort, any loaf so stamped, and any person so selling bread deScient in weight. In selling " stale bread," which is defined as bread whichhas been manufactured for 24 hours or more, a stale loaf may be short weight, but the loss is to be made up by \ adding other bread, so that the customer shall receive the weight paid for, and a penalty of £5 is prescribed for infringement of this rule. Bakers are to sel) bread only in. "French loaves" or "batch loaves " of two, four, six, or eight pounds in weight respectively, £5 line being again imposed for infringement, These provisions do not appls to " fancy bread." Inspectors to examine from time to time bread offered for sale within their districts, and te-t the weight of loaves. Resistance to inspection is lined £5. Inspectors have to be appointed by the local authorities. Any purchaser of drugs or articles of food may have them analysed by a Government Analyst on payment of a fee, and prosecßte if adulttratiun is detected. Inspectors may procure for analysis sampleu of food or drug", paying the ordinary price. £10 penalty for refusal to sell. In purchase for analysis, the purchaser is to divide the articles into three parts, each to tie sealed up, one to be delivered to the vendor, one to the ana-' lyst, one retained by purchaser for comparison. Samples of imported wines or. spirits may be demanded without payment by the inspector for analysis, and if adulteration is discovered, the importer must enter a bond to destroy the adulterated liquor or export it from the colony, failing which, to bo destroyed by the Customs. Milk and other articles of food and all drugs must reach standards specified in the schedule to the Act. Spirits may be reduced in strength by dilution with water to 25 degrees under proof in the case of brandy, whisLy, or rum j or 35 degrees for gin. It is to be no defence to a prosecution for adulteration to prove that the analyst's fee is not paid, or a purchaser having bought for analysis, was not prejudiced by the sale ; or that the article, though dsfectivoiu nature, or substance, or quality, was not defective in all these respects. Fees recovered under the Act are to go to the local body.