The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3807, 27 September 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1883.

As the Adulteration Prevention Act, 1883, comes into force on December 1 next, it is important that tradesmen should have some acquaintance with its provisions. Every baker must have his full initials stamped in Roman letters not less than an inch long upon every loaf baked by him or sold from his bakery under a penalty of £o for every loaf sold without being so stamped. He is also required under the same penalty to have the true weight of tho loaf similarly stamped upon it in figures of a like bijjc. An equal penalty will be imposed on every person offering for sale in any store, shop, or building, or in any street or open place of public resort any loaf not so stamped,

and any person selling bread deficient in weight. In selling " stale bread," which is defined as bread which has been raiinu- , factured for twenty-four hours or more, -i the stale loaf may be short weight, but tho ' loss is to be made up by adding other ' bread, so that the customer shall receive the weight paid for._ A penalty of £5 is prescribed for the infringement of this rule- Bakers are to sell bread only in "French loaves," or "batch loaves" of two, four, six, or eight pounds in weight respectively, £5 fine being again imposed for the infringement. These provisions do not apply to "fancy bread." Inspectors are to examine from time to time tho bread offered for sale within their dis- j tricts, and test the weight of loaves. Resistance of the inspection is forbidden under a fine of £o. Inspectors are to be appointed by local authorities. Any purchaser of drugs or articles of food may havo them analysed by a Government analyst on payment of a fee, and prosecute if adulteration be detected. The Inspectors may procure for analysis samples of food or drugs, paying the ordinary price. There is a £10 penalty for refusal to sell to purchaser for analysis. The purchaser is to divide the article into three parts, and each is to be sealed up, and one delivered to the vendor, one to the analysis, and if adulteration bo discovered the importer must enter into a bond to destroy the adulterated liquor or export it from the colony, failing which it is to be destroyed by tiio Customs. All milk and other articles of food and all. drugs must reach the standards specified in the schedule to the Act. Spirits may be reduced in strength by dilution with water to 2odeg under proof in tho case of brandy, whisky, or rum, or 35deg for gin. It is to be no defence to a prosecution adulteration to prove that the analyst's fee was not paid, or the purchaser having bought for analysis was not prejudiced by the sale, or that tho article, though defective in nature and substance or quality was not defective in all these respects. The fees recovered under this Act aro to go to the local body.