THE PEOPLE’S FOOD.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 12

THE PEOPLE’S FOOD.

SOME STANDARD JXBFh-VITIONS. LAST SESSION’S ACT. "Bread is a parous food substance* obtained by moistening and baking liom;, with, provision, for tho mechanical ; 6C* paration of the dough by air or Carbonic acid gas." Thus is probably tho first that most people, have hoard of it, but in future, by virtue of regulations uudor last sessions Sale of T bod and Drugs Act, which have just been approved by the Government, every loul which is bold at tho door in the Domin-

ion of New Zealand will janswer the above description. To go a little further

•—‘‘Bread shall contain not. more than one fifth per cent of ash insoluble in acid, and, in the, crumb substance (excluaivo of crust;, not fnoro than forty per cent of water. ' Moreover, it shall bo illegal to add alum or other foreign fe-übstance to dough or to bread.'’ Other articles of food are also defined in tho same way. Tor instance preserved fruit is described as any sound fruit or fruit substance preserved in a dry state or in syrup, fruit-juice, or water. To such preserved fruit it will bo illegal to odd salicylic acid, boric acid, benzoic .acid, or other preserve tivo substance, except s\igar. Coffee, wfainch is tho seed of the Cof- ‘ I fea Arabica, or the Coffea Liborica shall i contain not less than ten per cent ol j fat, not more than • one per cent of *sacclmerino matter, not more than six • , per coat of ash, of which the proportion !of soluble .ash shall not be less than ! seventy-fivo per cent, and shall contain |no chicory, livery mixture of coffee and chicory, exposed for sale as such, must contain not loss than fifty per cent 61 coffee. The addition of starch, or any other foreign substances to coffee, or to coffee and cliicory, is absolutely prohibited. Tea is defined as the leaves and leafbuds of tho various species of ten, pro pnred by the usual trado proccsi'.es. Tea shall not yield more than seven (.7) per cent, not less than four (4) per cent, of ash, of which at least one-half shall bo. soluble in water. It shall yield at least 'thirty (30) per cent, of extract. It shall contain spurious, or exhausted, or decayed, or mouldy ioavea or stalks, or any Prussian bhic, ,or lead, or other matter for facing or for any other purpose. If described or sold as the product of any country or district it mrust ba the product of the country or district so specified. Th© proportion of extract ©bail be deter- • mined by boiling 2 grams of tea in | 200 cc. of distilled water under a reflux • condenser for one hour, filtering while f hot, allowing the filtrate to cool, and ; evaporating an aliquot part on tho water j bath till of constant weight. I Tho most interesting definition, and I perhaps tho mast important, is that of | milk, which is as follow;Milk is tho fresh, clean lacteal eocrotion obtained by tho oomplcto milking of ono or moro healthy cows properly fed and kept, excluding that obtained fifteen days before | and ten days after calving. [ Kecogniising that there are tricks in ilia ! trade, the Act further ordains that milk ’ shall not contain less tluiu twelve (12) per cent, of total solids, not less than eight and one-half (8.5) per cent, of solids not fat, not lesj than three and one-quarter (3.2.3) per cent, fatty r-olida (ir ilk-fats), and not more than one (1) ncr cent; of ash. Tho addition of water to milk is prohibited. Tho addition of preservatives’ such as formalin, and boracic acid hoe'been prohibited fox some time. Brandy, whisky and mm shall contain not loss than sevenly-fivo per pent of proof spirit. Gin shall contain not }csr>.than sixty-five pci - cent, of proof * spirit. The addition cf preservative siibstenoca other than common condimcntei cub- - stances to sauces and pickles is prohibited.