DEFICIENT IN QUALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 313, 12 June 1915, Page 5

DEFICIENT IN QUALITY.

.» i THE SALE OF BAKING POWDER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The deficiency of a widely advertised and cheap baking powder was the subject of the prosecution of the Home and Colonial Stores Ltd. before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., this morning on a charge of having sold baking powder that, on being heated with water, yielded only 4.G1 per cent, of carbon dioxide instead of the ten per cent, required by the Pure Food and Drugs Act. This particular chemical compound gives baking powder its chief property of "rising," or aerating the confections in which it is used. It was admitted by Mr. Hanna, for defendants, that the baking powder had been widely advertised and was deficient, but he ' stated that its deficiency was unknown to the defendants, who bought tli article in good faith and had taken all reasonable precautions to ensure its being up to standard. His Worship said that, though he believed defendants had acted honeßtly and in good faith, they might have, in the absence of a written guarantee, taken the precaution of having a sample of tho powder analysed. Without this they could not establish a complete defence. The ari,ic!« was "cheap and nasty" in the sense that it was a. penny a tin cheaper than the usual price, while at the same time it was only half tho strength. Still, the analysis showed that not alum sulphate or other unwholesome chemical was added to it. There wa» no question of defendants wilfully doing a wrong, consequently he would not order any advertisement of the conviction, and would not inflict a heavy monetary penalty. Defendants would be fined £2 and costs.