PASTRY AND ITS EGG INGREDIENTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 5

PASTRY AND ITS EGG INGREDIENTS.

FOOD & DRUGS ACT. MATTER BEING LOOKED INTO. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christchurcli, May IG. On his attention being drawn to a press message from Duncdin to-day about one of do regulations (No. 30) made under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, which, it is alleged, practically prohibited confectioners from using yolks and albumen, the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes (Minister for Public Health) said that his Department was carefully considering tho question of tho use of dried albumen in pastry. He mentioned, as a matter of fact, that the Dominion Analyst was now engaged upon an analysis of a sample submitted lo tho Department so that he might be informed if the article was (as it had been alleged to be) dried egg albumen, or merely a mixture with gelatine or other adulterant added. There was, the Minister stated, absolutely no reason to anticipate a dislocation of the pastry trade on account of tho regulations, for these (lid not refer lo stock-in-trade on April 1 last, nor to any orders from ITonlo or the Continent given before that date nor (in regard to such stocks) for twelve months yet. Consequently any reference to an inability to get fresh eggs this winter was beside the point. The regulations in regard to pastry were identical with those of New South Wales. Tho use of dried albumen, or the yolk of egg preserved with any preservative substance, wa-s prohibited in both. . , The Minister added that his information was not vet complete, but, so far, it wont to show that an increasing use was being made by pastrycooks of imported dried egg albumen and imported preserved .volks of eggs. The eggs from which tiiey were derived might, for instance, have been grown ill Russia or Siberia. Tt would therefore be seen that the whole fiuestinii involved much policy. He had to consider lo what extent tho uses of these importations wero now art'eeting (and. in the future might affect) the eggpioducing industry of the Dominion. 01>viouslv nnstr.vconks, instead of buying eggs when the price was low, and securing thereby winter stocks, might be content to avoid this trouble, and reyorl: to these importations thus undoubtedly tending to hamper one important industry of a producing country such as New /.calami was. There would therefore (Mr. Rhodes- continued) always lr a scarcity of fre«h eeirs if our producer': found themselves unable to compel? with lower-waged foreign importations. The Government would therefore consider tho whole question very carefully before giving a decision.