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Many other kinds of food were examined in the four centres, of which the following examples are typical:— Saccharin (undeclared) was found in two syrups. Excessive amounts of sulphur dioxide were present in many samples of sausages and minced meat. Bacon, especially in the Auckland district, frequently contained boric acid, in contravention of the regulations. Dirt and foreign substances were found in bread, flour, sugar, sausages, and other foods. Some of the materials found were dangerous, while others were merely disgusting. All such instances were evidence of a lack of care in the handling of food, which appears to be increasing. Some successful prosecutions were taken by the Department of Health and may help to draw attention to the need for greater care. Zinc was several times detected in gin imported in galvanized-iron drums. Molten tin used for tinning food utensils tends to become contaminated with lead derived from solder. In a few instances more than 2 per cent, of lead was found, but the situation was better than in the preceding year. About a quarter of the samples of iodized salt examined were somewhat deficient in iodine. The permission to add a small amount of a harmless stabilizer, as is allowed in some other countries, appears to be worth consideration. Several carbonated beverages contained salicylic acid, the use of which as a preservative is now prohibited. A variety of foods contained artificial colouring substances without the requisite declaration of their presence being given in the label. A survey of butchers' shops made by the Department of Health disclosed a number of meat-pickling preparations that contained dangerous substances not fully labelled as required by regulations. A considerable proportion of the cream samples examined, particularly in Christchurch, were deficient in fat. Milk-shakes, in many cases, contained less than 3 per cent, (the legal minimum) of milk-fat, and frequently contained living coliform bacilli. Enamelled trays made for use as drip trays in refrigerators were being sold to the public and used in the preparation of food. It was found that these trays were not resistant to acid—as required by the regulations. The swelling of cans of tongues was found to be due to the decomposition of excess of nitrite added during canning. Arsenic was found in oyster products in much higher amounts than is permitted by the regulations:. As it was already known that arsenic occurred naturally in certain marine animals, including oysters, and as it is known that it exists in a form less toxic than the ordinary inorganic forms of arsenic, further investigation seems warranted. The position is complicated by the fact that analyses of tinplate used for food cans showed that the surface was not free from arsenic and that undesirable amounts of arsenic in its inorganic forms might be taken up by the canned food. Many analyses and bacteriological examinations of waters were made, including a survey of the main water-supplies for traces of fluorine. The amount of fluorine present was in no case sufficient to have an adverse effect on health.

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