EXTENT OF INSPECTION AND SAMPLING. 21 



port, or Hamburg port, must be accompanied by the words " produce of Spain," "prod- 

 uce of France," or "produce of Germany," as the case may be. Wines described 

 as sherry imported from countries other than Spain should be similarly qualified." 1 



The same principle is found in Food Inspection Decision No. 122, 

 wherein it is stated that the ports and sherries produced in Cali- 

 fornia must be labeled respectively " California port," "California 

 sherry." 



EXTENT OF INSPECTION AND SAMPLING UNDER THE VARIOUS 



LAWS. 



SPECIAL EXAMINATION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



That dairy products receive a great amount of attention in the 

 United Kingdom is shown by the fact that during the year 1908, 

 45,093 samples of milk were examined, of which 10.5 per cent were 

 reported as either adulterated or as falling below the minimal limits 

 fixed by the "sale of milk regulations, 1901." These regulations do 

 not fix a minimum percentage. Under the regulations a presumption 

 of adulteration or abstraction is raised by a deficiency of milk fat or 

 other solids, but if it can be proved that the milk was sold as it came 

 from the cow, this presumption is rebutted. The sale of milk con- 

 taining less than 3 per cent of milk fat, or less than 8.5 per cent of 

 other milk solids, does not therefore necessarily constitute an offense. 

 The effect of the regulations is merely that proof of the deficiency 

 throws on the defendant the onus of showing by direct and positive 

 evidence that the milk was sold as it came from the cow. The merely 

 11 presumptive" nature of these limits has given rise to a considerable 

 agitation by local authorities for legislation establishing absolute 

 limits. 



At this point for purposes of comparison it might be pointed out 

 that in the standards fixed in Circular No. 19 of the Office of the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, the standard for butter fat in milk is set at 3.25 

 per cent. Even this is low, a milk of good average quality carrying 

 more nearly 3.5 per cent or more. The examinations of the public 

 analysts have resulted in the cases being brought primarily on the 

 addition of water to milk, the abstraction of its fat, and the addition 

 of preservatives. It is, however, gratifying to learn that drastic 

 action, usually under other acts, has been taken for the sale of dirty 

 milk. In one case (in 1907) in Westminster a dealer was "dealt with 

 under the public health act, 1875, and sent to prison for six months." 

 During the year 1909 the number of milk samples taken in England 

 and Wales under the sale of food and drugs acts were 45,576 and of 

 butter 20,670. During the same year in Scotland the samples of 



1 Fiftieth Annual Report of Commissioner of His Majesty's Customs for the year ending 31st of March, 

 1906, p. 35. 



