THE BUTTER TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13693, 8 September 1906, Page 14

THE BUTTER TRADE.

REPORT OP SELECT COMMITTEE. (Fnoit Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 21. The report of tho Select Cnnnr.Utee appointed to consider whether any, and if so what, further legislation is required in order to secure tho better conduct and control of the trado in butter attd butter substitutes has been issued. It appears that the committee received the evidonco of 49 witnesses. Tho committee had no evidence before it which would indicate thai tho existing law, which provides that butter containing more than 16 per cent, of moisture shall bo presumed, Until the contrary is proved, to bo adulterated, is insufficient to prevent fraud or negligence with regard to the percentage of Moisturo in the manufacture by farmers and others of natural butter. So far as this butter is concerned, tho committee sees no reason for suggesting any amendment of. the existing law as to moisture.

Most of the witnesses examined expressed the opinion that tho industry of blending butter with butter was legitimato and advantageous to producers and consumers. The colonial witnesses said they would prefer that their own butter should bo sold on its • merits, and should not bo Wended with cither Homo or foreign butter, although one of them admitted that a prohibition against tho blending of colonial butter with other butter could hardly be expected. Some witnesses expressed the opinion that butter-blcndiuff with butter was unnecessary, bit tho comnutteo is of opinion that butter-blending is a legitimato industry. The evidence showed that m some cases water was added to factory butter in the process of blending for the purpose of increasing the weight, i , ,committee holds that, this practice should be prevented. It'appears tliat makers of blended butter find no difficulty m providing against the presence of excess moisture in their butter. Cases were mentioned to the committee in which it had ueen found impossible to express moisture from blended butter so as to to bring it under 16 por cent, but tlio committee aro satisfied by the evidence that a maker of blended butter can, as a rule, express tho moisturo so (is to bring it within any reasonable limit.

Tlie ' attention of tho committee wa3 called to the practice of blending foreign and colonial butters in this country and selliir,' thorn under descriptions which lead the public to suppose that they arc HomeTiirfde butters, a practice which the committee thinks undesirable, and will bo checked under the existing'law when efficient inspection is established. But the committee thinks it would not be desirable to prohibit the manufacture or sale of the substance known as milk-blended butter, as it appears, that this 3iibstaneo meets the wants or suits tlio tastes of a certain ecction of the community. It, considers, however, that it is not butter; that it and other substances (not beingmargarine) containing butter fat should only be allowed to be manufactured for sale under a special liamo and regulations approved bv tlio Board of Agriculture'and Fisheries; and that when sold by retail it should be delivered to tlio purchaser in a wrapper, also approved by the Board of Agrieulturo and Fisheries. If. would bo necessary fcliat factories where this mixture is made and tlio premises of wholesale dealers who deal in it should bo registered, and that books should bo kept at these factories and premises by which consignments of this mixturo could bo traced to the retailer.

Evidence was given which showed that in certain factories fat not derived from milk is added to butter, and the butter is then sold fraudulently as pure butter. It was also shown that certain firms are engaged in the business of teaching occupiers of factories how to adulterate butter with fat not derived from milk. 'Die manufacture of such 'mixtures'is contrary to the existing law, hut tho law cannot be put in operation because .the mixtures are'so skilfully compounded that tlio analysts cannot generally certify that they aro, not pure butter, and there is 110 power of entry into these factories unless it can be proved that tlio substance which is manufactured there is margarine. The committee considers that machinery should bo provided so that- the law relative to the adulteration of butter with fat not derived from milk may be put in operation.

Most of the butter imported is made Under Government supervision or control, and tho committno does not think the present stato of the trade in imported butter is unsatisfactory. But there is ample evidence to show that mixtures of butter with fat other_ than milk fat aro made in Holland and imported into this country, and that some butter to which water has been fraudulently-added is also imported into this country. Evider.ce given- to show that tho provisions as to warranties gi.ven by persons resident outsido the United Kingdom should be amended. Tho committee thinks that the responsibility for tho purity of imported butter should lie.oll the imoorter,

In view of the evidence received as to the adulteration of butter and tho irregularities connected with, tho sale of margarine, the committee is convinced that tho law controlling the trade in butter and butter, substitutes requires amendment. ,In the'case of imported butter tho committee thinks the penally should be in proportion to the amount imported. Numerous witnesses gave evidence in favour of supplementing tho existing law as to sale of butter by a law providing for the_ prevention of adulteration at tho factories where tho adulterated article may bo produced. They pointed out that in tlio case of'adulterated artioles, which are produced commercially on a larger scale at certain centres, it is simpler to check adulteration by controlling the"" compara-, tively few 1 centres of production than by attempting to deal with the adulteration at the numberle?3 centres of retail distribution. They also pointed out that the only possible way of dealing with adulteration which cannot bo detected by analysis is to. inspect the promises where it is carried on. The witnesses wor« nnani-

mously in favour of legislation providing that all premise? where butter is blended or reworked or treated by anv procew should bo. placed under the inspection and control of tho authorities. The committee concurs in this view. The followinir recommendations are therefore made:—(l) That inspectors of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland should have power to enter any premises where they have reasonable grounds for lielieving that butter is made, blended, re-worked, treated by any process, adulterated, or stored. (2) That premises where butter is blended or re-worked or treated by any process, or where abnormal butter is habitually produced, shall bo registered with the local authority of tho district as a butter factory. (3) That no fat, other than butter fat. and no vegetable or other oils, nor any substance capable of being used as an adulterant of butter, should be brought into or stored or allowed to bo in any registered butter factory, (t) That no substance be arWod to butter whereby the percentage of moist'jro. in ■ the butter is'increased. (5) That the addition to butter at any stage of tho process of manufacture of any fat not

derived from milk bo expressly and directly prohibited. . (6) That margarine when sold by retail should lie handed to the purchaser in a wrapper on whioh the word " Margarino" shall be printed in black, solid* capital letters, and that no fancy namo or description should lx> permitted that- refers to butter or anything connected with the dairy industry. (7) That 110 margarine made in any margarino factory shall when the process of manufacture is complete contain moro than 16 per cent, of -water; and no margarine shall bo imported containing more than 16 per cent, of moisture. (8) That premises where margarine is . reworltcd or submitted to any process shall lib registered as margarine factoriofl. (9) That a warranty or invoice given by a person resident "outside the United Kingdom shall not be available as a defence to any proceedings under the Salo of Food and Drugs Acts. (10) That, penalties for the importation of adulterated butter should be proportionate to the magnitude of the consignment. (11) ! That all practicable steps should be taken to bring about international agreements as to the prevention of adulteration. (12) That section 4 .of " The Salo of Food and Drugs Act, 1899," should'he amended so as to give the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland ■power to fix standards for curd, anil to give T the Local Government Board power to fix -standards for preservatives. (13) That tlio Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland should have power to take proceedings under the Merchandise Mark (14) That nothing shall be sold under the name of butter which contains more than 16 per cent, of moisture. (15) That substances other than butter (not being margarine) containing butter fat should be 6old, with a Jimit of ,24 per cent, of moisture, under a namo approved by the Board of Agriculture and fisheries, provided lhat such name should not be calculated to preudice 'he salo of the article. (16) That such substances ■when sold by retail should be delivered tci .the purchaser in a wrapper, approved by tho Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, containing a description of the nature, sub-

stance, and qujty of tho article; and, as far as- posibloJmler the same conditions as apply to tj salo of margarine. (17) mat- the provijns of tho Margarine Act of 1887, ns anielcd by "Tho Sale of Food and Drugs A0ti899," should apply to all such substance) ,(18) Inspectors acting under special direction of the local authority shoul; havo power to enter butter factories, | inspect any ptocess, and to take samples; (19) That butter having been treated byjny process shall not bo. allowed to bo placed in tho original