PURE FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 295, 8 December 1908, Page 4

PURE FOOD.

OFEKATION OF TDK NEW ACT. 13EEI! AND WHISKY SAMPLES. The operation of the Sale of Food and Drug, Act, passed last sc-aoii. is giving i good deal of -atisfaciion to the Chief Health Ollicer (Dr. .Mason). The Act .•uipowers the Health Department to set up standards of purity for all sorts of foods and drugs, and' prevent dealing in articles which do not fulfil (in; requirements. The Department lias investigated the standards of countries ill over the world, with a view to forming standards for the Dominion. In a great many cases tire English standards have beeii adopted, but occasionally, where these requirements are most strict, and there has been considerable trade in some article not equal to the standard, but not actually injurious by reason of its adulteration, the standard has been reduced for the purpose of the local industry.

The whole matter has rt'i]uirc(l very careful handling, but a good ileal has already been doue, and samples have been taken of sweetmeats, vinegar, preserved foods of all kinds, bread, milk, and brandies, to see if they satisfy the standards. The. Department has tried to learn what are the current adulterants on the market, and has had to deeide how far they tan lie prohibited without absolute injustice to the trader. Dr. -Mason states that importers and others have shown a very general desire to assist the Department in ensuring a reasonable degree of purity in foods and drugs. Most dealers "are rjuite willing to restrict their trade to the honest article, providing other dealers are not gaining an advantage by the opposite practice. The Department's polity has been not to bring prosecutions, but to attain its ends as far as possible by the co-operation of merchants.

Liquors in hotels have not been dealt with under this Act. but simples for analysis lmve been taken, from iime 'to time, under an older measure, the Adulteration of Foods I'revcntio,, Act, There is a fairly general impression that nil sorts of horrid compounds are occasionally put ill beer, for the sake of iiuTca*iiig the thirst ami other objects. From time to time .-pecilic allegation, of ihis kind have been made, to the Health Department in respect of certain hotels, and beer -ainples have been taken for iinaly»is bill no worse adulterants have been found than water. About III) samples of whisky were taken in Canterbury year. The spirit was proved good, with the ex-j eeption. of a few samples, in which dilution, was evident.—Dominion.