UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8357, 12 February 1907, Page 7

UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

By Telegraph —Press Association.. WELLINGTON, February 11. Charles Henry Jones, manager of the Diamond Confect.onery Company, of Wellington, was charged at the Magistrate's Court, to-day, with having on November 14th in his possession 576 tins of condensed milk for the purpose of preparation for sale for human consumption. The proceedings were taken by the Department of Public Health. The District Health Officer deposed that the majority of tins were "blown," and some had burst, giving out an offensive smell. The milk was unfit for human consumption. Eating anything made from it would be attended with serious consequences, especially in the case of young children. He had proved the presence of anaerobic bacteria in the milk. These produced poisons generally known as ptomaines. No amount of cooking would kill these ptomaines. He did not find the poison, but he presumed the poison from the presence of bacteria. If the' whole thing was put into a furnace the poison might be destroyed. He could not say thatl; poison was there, because to prove its presence he would have to experiment on a humane being, and no one volunteered. (Laughter). Corroborative evidence was given by Drs. James and Hector. The defendant stated that he had seen the milk used in England in a much worse condition than that which he had in his factory. He knew fermentation was present in the bulged tins, but he had believed that the high temperature of 260 degrees to which milk .was subjected destroyed any germs. The milk was used for caramel toffee. Defendant was ' fined £5, and ordered to pay £ll 17s 6d costs. "The Court directed that the milk should be destroyed. The defendant, on leaving the Court, exclaimed that the effect of this would be to drive him out of the country. He denounced the manner In which the country was overrun by inspectors, who nearly worried him to death.