PURE FOOD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1797, 9 July 1913, Page 8

PURE FOOD.

THE NEW REGULATIONS. NO DIFFICULTIES EXPECTED. Local grocers and manufacturers were perturbed lat tho prospect of a serious upsetting of their business by tho now regulations requiring that all goods offered for 6nle shall bear eucli labels as will convey to the buyer tho real oontenta of tho package. The Minister for Public Health (the Hon. E. H, Rhodes) interviewed by a Dominion reporter yesterday, made •a brief statement on tho working of tho Aci) up to date.

"I do not anticipate that in reality grocers will have so many difficulties as wero 'oxpefcted," said tho Minister "As a fact, many manufacturers and importers to whom tho intention of tho regulations is not clear, aro in direct communication with tho Public Health Department re. garding labelling. Many liavo already taken steps to ensure that tho stocks they sell to grocers shall in every way , conform to tho Act and regulations.

"In tho past it has been tho practico of the Department to endeavour to fix tho blamo for any offence upon tho person primarily responsible, That, with additional stress, is. tho instruction . I have given stops;,to. ljo taken to onforco tho new regulations. For instance, a grocer might, in all good faith, sell to. an inspector an article in a scaled pack'age—just as lie received it from theniauu-' facturer or importer.. If it wero' foun I. that tho article contained did not conform to tho standard set by tlio regulations, and that tho labelling thereof had not been brought into lino by tho concession of 'tho sticker'—to which I referred on a previous occasion—or by a now label,, tlio District Health Officer would endeavour to ascertain from whom tlio grocer in question purchased that food stuff, and would then obtain a satnplo direct from tho firm concerncd, and warn or prosecute, whichever I may dccido upon, when tho case is putl before mo for final deci. sion. It might b® that tho grooer was' personally responsible, or that ho would object to divulgo when and from whom lio obtained tho article; in that case, of course, other steps than those indicated would bo needed..

"Thoro is no reason why grocers should not secure a 'warranty' in tlio meaning of the Act, from those they buy form. "I would suggest, however, that for the present grocers simply ask their Blippliers—preferably in writing—if they have taken steps t<j oomply with the Act and regulations with regard to the specific articles ordered from them. The reply received would go some way to enable the grocer to seo how lie stood in the light of the law. As to imported goods, I desire to be emphatic that no exception will bo mado with regard to the composition and labelling of imported goods as compared with looally prepared or manufactured wares."