14 FOOD LAWS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



COMMITTEE REPORT ON PRESERVATIVES AND COLORS. 



From the administrative viewpoint, considerable attention has! 

 been paid in the United Kingdom to the propriety of the use of pre-1 

 servatives in foodstuffs. In order that this matter might be given si 

 thorough investigation, the whole question was submitted to a com-l 

 mittee, a very full report of which was published in 1901 under the! 

 title "Report of the departmental committee appointed to inquire! 

 into the use of preservatives and coloring matters in the preservation! 

 and coloring of food." This committee consisted of four members,! 

 and, with the exception of a minority report ' l Concerning the use of! 

 copper sulphate in the greening of vegetables," by Dr. F. W. Tunni-j 

 cliffe, the recommendations of the committee were unanimous.! 

 Their recommendations are as follows: 



(a) That the use of formaldehyde or formalin, or preparations thereof, in foods or 

 drinks be absolutely prohibited, and that salicylic acid be not used in a greater pro- 

 portion than 1 -grain per pint in liquid food and 1 grain per pound in solid food, its 

 presence in all cases to be declared. 



(6) That the use of any preservative or coloring matter whatever in milk offered 

 for sale in the United Kingdom be constituted an offense under the sale of food and 

 drugs acts. 



(c) That the only preservative which it shall be lawful to use in cream be boric acid 

 or mixtures of boric acid and borax, and in amount not exceeding 0.25 per cent ex- 

 pressed as boric acid, the amount of such preservative to be notified by a label 

 upon the vessel. 



(d) That the only preservative permitted to be used in butter and margarine be 

 boric acid or mixtures of boric acid and borax, to be used in proportions not exceeding 

 0.5 per cent expressed as boric acid. 



() That in the case of all dietetic preparations intended for the use of invalids or| 

 infants chemical preservatives of all kinds be prohibited. 



(/) That the use of copper salts in the so-called greening of preserved foods be pro- 

 hibited. 



These recommendations have never been enacted into law. Some 

 of them .are, however, used as a basis for prosecution in the United 

 Kingdom under the sale of food and drugs acts, particularly in the 

 case of milk to which preservatives have been added. 1 



With reference to the above recommendations it should be pointed 

 out that Dr. F. W. Tunnicliffe put in a minority report on "The use 

 of copper sulphate in the greening of preserved vegetables, etc." 

 This report is as follows : 



I agree with the above report, except as to paragraph 127 and recommendation F* 

 With regard to the question of the addition of copper sulphate to preserved vege- 

 tables and fruits for the purpose of rendering them permanently green I regret that 

 I am not quite in agreement with my colleagues. I regard it as established thsft 

 these substances, as well as many other articles of diet, naturally contain copper, 

 and that copper is constantly being introduced into food by the ordinary culinary 

 processes, and further that although the copper is added in a soluble and absorbable 



i The Local Government Board has power to fix standards on preservatives in butter and margarine under 

 section 7 of the butter and margarine act. 



