PURITY OF FOODS

Southland Times, Issue 19294, 12 July 1924, Page 5

PURITY OF FOODS

NEW PROVISIONS OUTLINED WEIGHT OF BUTTER AND TEA THE LABELLING OF EGGS. The various regulations governing the sale of foeds and drugs have for some time been under revision* by the Health Department, acting in consultation with the various trades affected. The task having been completed, the bulk of'the regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908, have been revoked by Order in-Council and replaced by new and amended regulations, to come into force cn August 1. A copy of these new regulations, the drafting of which has been largely in the hands of Dr R. H. Makgill, has been received in Invercargill and deal principally with the constituents of foodstuffs, their preparation, weight and storage and labelling of goods and packages. Among the new regulations is a stipulation regarding the weight of butter and tea. The practice has been common for certain manufacturers of butter to label their product “not less*then 15oz. net,” to'>safeguard themselves in the event of some lib. packages being found slightly under weight. In the opinion of the health authorities* this practice was an attempt to get round the regulations, and its effect was sometimes to give the purchaser less weight than he anticipated. In the long run short weight would multiply, involving the customer in very substantial losses. To protect the buying public and those manufacturers who did not resort to the practice complained of, the new regulation stipulates that the weight of packages of butter shall bo either Boz, or 160 z., or a multiple of lib. The regulation similarly provides for the weight of tea, with the addition that packages of 4oz are allowed for. The stamping and labelling of eggs imported from other countries and uggs kept in cool storage, or preserved, is provided for in another new regulation. Each egg, it is stipulated, must be stamped on the shell in indelible ink with the words “Imported from,” followed by the name of the country in which the eggs were laid. Packages containing such eggs must be similarly stamped. Eggs for sale which have been preserved by “waterglass” or other chemical substance must be stamped on the shells with the word “preserved.” Any person undertaking the cool storage of eggs for 'sale is obliged to keep a record indicating the ownership of the eggs, the dates respectively on which the eggs were received and withdrawn and the name cf the person withdrawing the eggs. The sale of eggs which have been in cool storage for a longer period than ten weeks is prohibited unless each egg te stamped with the word “chilled.” Most of the regulations relating to cordials and syrups have been revised after consultation with, the manufacturers. Clauses also provide that syrups and artificial drinks sold at soda water bars shall be classified by labels on the containers, and that all syrups shall be labelled to show whether they are artificial or not. New clauses governing the preparation of ice-cream permit the addition of not more than five-tenths of 1 per cent, of gelatine or gurn tragacanth for thickening purposes. Previously the use of such substances was prohibited. It is further [ stipulated that ice-cream shall not contain ■ more than 50,000 micro-organisms to the > cubic centimeter, nor any harmful or ; pathogenic organisms. ; The cleanliness of receptacles used for the preparation of foods and drinks is 1 insisted upon in several entirely new 1 regulations. One of these clauses proj hibits the use for such purposes of any vessel or copper that is used for boiling j clothes or for any other purpose which may contaminate food. It is also stipu- > lated that drinking vessels and other , table appliances in bars, restaurants, 1 dining rooms, tearooms, refreshment stalls s and booths shall be thoroughly washed af- > ter use and shall be kept clean. , Pasteurised- milk is defined n another a clause as milk which has been retained at - a temperature of not less than 145 degrees Fahrenheit and not more than 150 degrees a for at least 30 minutes and immediately a cooled to a temperature of not more than y 50 degrees. The milk shall not be so heated more than once and shall not be otherwise treated by heat. s Among other new regulations are those F dealing with vinegars, the use of pure e water and ice in the preparation of foods, e and the labelling of biological products, e disinfectants, antiseptics and deodorants.