PURE FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 20, 24 June 1913, Page 5

PURE FOOD.

THE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. Per Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. In the cnnrse of an interview, the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Public Health, stated that, so far, the outcome of the regulations under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, which came into operation on April 1 last, was giving him much satisfaction. One of the concessions made by the Department had teen in the direction of permitting the use of labels which were stock-in-trade on that date, provided that any important statements on declaration now required by the regulations were shown by the affixed labels or by stamping thereon. This permission had been agreeably received by the manufacturers and agents concerned. At the same time the most important feature in accordance with the spirit of the regulations had been thereby sufficiently safeguarded. The Minister stated that much advice was being sought by manufacturers and others from several district health officers and the chief health officer, regarding labelling in the future, but nevertheless he was not satisfied that the facilities offered by the Department in this regard were being made as full use of as the interests of manufacturers, the publie and the Department itself warranted. He, therefore, took this opportunity of impressing upon manufacturers and others the advisability of making sure, bv direct communication with those officers, that their future labels would be regarded by the Department as in conformity in every detail with the requirements of the Act and the regulations. That was a very practical point, the Minister insisted, and its monetary side should appeal to those concerned. It might be that in all good faith a manufacturer would draw up a label conforming, as he believed, with all that the regulations required, whereas some small but important detail having been omitted he would subsequently be informed by the Department that it could not be allowed, and that an entirely new set of labels must be purchased and used. The officers of the Department, he added, were becoming day bv day more experienced in the needs of the labelling of many foodstuffs dealt with by the regulations, and after this announcement the Minister could only assure manufacturers and others that if they failed to make use of the Department in the way he had set forth, they would have only themselves to blame' for any inadvertent happenings, and that his sympathy would not be with them when the time came to grumble, as he felt sure would' otherwise be the case. Continuing, the Minister said: "There is one aspect of jthe pure food question which I may candidly say is now greatly concerning us: it is the aim of the regulations "that every housewife, and she, too. is primarily most concerned, must clearly see bv the label displayed on any package of food what exactly is its description and what is the quantity of the contents of the purchase she makes. I am satisfied that the regulations can very well secure this. On the other hand.'it appears that the dishonest trader can advertise his wares in many specious ways, either totally discounting or qualifying or denying statements he is now required to display on the labels of the food he may be advertising. As I have indicated, thi« is a serious aspect of the question. I am satisfied that steps must be taken to cope with this difficulty. After more full enquiry into all side's of the question, I hope shortly to announce exactly what I purpose doing to remove this flaw, one, indeed, which would much militate against the efforts of the Government to secure the fullest straightforwardness in all matters concerning our food supplies."