DANGEROUS BUTTER?

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24912, 27 June 1946, Page 2

DANGEROUS BUTTER?

Sir,—An advertisement recently published gave a recipe for making the butter ration “stretch.” This contained gelatine. As I have had some experience of poisoning through serving up dishes containing gelatine, which have been kepV.top long—only one day after a children’s party, the dishes having been prepared the day before the party—l am surprised that no caution was published in the same advertisement. Could you get a statement from the correct authority concerning the length of time it would be advisable for this prepared butter to be stored before use. lam the more concerned because I have heard of people sending this recipe to England, where I feel sure they would be likely to mix their whole meagre 2oz at one time, expecting to keep it as long as it would eke out.—Yours, etc., BETTER BE SURE.

June 25, 1946. [“I can only suppose that the correspondent is referring to cases of food poisoning which occurred through the consumption of Spanish cream or preparations of this kind containing gelatine,” said Dr. J. H. Blakelock, District Medical Officer of Health, when this letter was referred to him. “In those cases the source of the contamination was the eggs used in the preparation of the dessert. I know of no evidence incriminating gelatine as a likely cause of food poisoning.”]