PRESERVATIVES IN FOOD 297 



Committee. This report was issued in November, 1901, 

 and it recommended that the use of any preservative or 

 colouring matter in milk be an offence under the Sale of Food 

 and Drugs Act ; that only boric acid or borax should be 

 allowed to be used in cream, in amount not exceeding 0.25 

 per cent.; that only boric acid or borax should be allowed in 

 butter and margarine, in amount not exceeding 0.5 per 

 cent.; that the use of formaldehyde or formalin or prepara- 

 tions thereof in foods or drinks be absolutely prohibited ; 

 and that a Court of Reference be established. There were 

 other points of less importance, but the above, coming 

 from a Committee of such experts, deserve the greatest 

 consideration. 



In December, 1901, the Council adopted a report from 

 the Dairy Products Committee, agreeing with the report of 

 the Departmental Committee, but regretting that the use 

 of preservatives in cream and butter were not entirely 

 prohibited . 



No legislative action was taken in this connection until 

 in 1907 Mr. John Burns (President of the Local Government 

 Board) passed a short measure the Public Health (Regula- 

 tions as to Food) Act which empowered that Department 

 to issue orders and regulations regarding the importation, 

 preparation, storage and distribution of articles of food and 

 drink. Practically it gave almost unlimited powers to the 

 President of that Board. Nothing was done, however, to 

 give effect to the recommendations of the Committee of 1901 , 

 until in 1912 an Order was issued by the Local Government 

 Board requiring that all preserved cream shall be sold in 

 receptacles bearing a label, which declares the amount of 

 preservative it contains. This regulation was approved by 

 the Council in May, 1912. 



The more important proposal regarding formalin and formal- 

 dehyde has been ignored, and these most injurious chemicals 

 are very commonly used in many articles of food, and some- 

 times in milk. There is little doubt that many invalids have 

 been killed by taking food containing some form of this pre- 

 servative. 



