1906.] Report on the Butter Trade. 



305 



Penalties. — With regard to the subject of penalties, many 

 witnesses suggested that penalties should be increased, but the 

 Committee state that while it is evident that the existing law is 

 not sufficient to prevent adulteration, the principal difficulty is 

 that of bringing the real offender before the Courts, and it does 

 not appear that this difficulty would be met by increasing 

 penalties only. In the case of imported butter, the Committee 

 think the penalty should be in proportion to the amount im- 

 ported. 



Vohmtmy Control of Butter Manufacture. — The Committee 

 also enquired into and considered the voluntary system of con- 

 trol of butter manufacture in the Netherlands, but they do not 

 think that any voluntary system of control would be effective 

 in this country. 



Ear-marking of Margarine. — One of the chief difficulties in 

 checking the adulteration of butter under the existing law is 

 that where the adulteration of butter with fat not derived from 

 milk is carried out scientifically it is extremely difficult for 

 analysts to certify to the adulteration. The suggestion has 

 been made that the analytical difficulty in the way of detecting 

 adulteration of butter with margarine might be surmounted by 

 requiring all margarine manufactured in the United Kingdom 

 or imported from abroad to contain a certain percentage of 

 some ear-marking substance. 



If this suggestion applies only to the article recognised in the 

 trade as margarine it is futile, as such margarine is not generally 

 used at the present time to adulterate butter. Other fats and 

 oils are more generally used for this purpose. If, on the other 

 hand, the meaning of the word margarine is extended so as to 

 include all fats and oils which are capable of being used as 

 adulterants of butter, then the objection arises that many fats 

 and oils capable of being used for adulteration of butter are 

 used by many industries not connected with butter. Sesame 

 oil and starch were the two ear-marking substances recom- 

 mended to the Committee. Objections were urged against the 

 use of both of these substances. 



Legislation as to Sale. — More drastic legislation as to the sale 

 of butter was recommended, but it appears that under any 

 provisions relating to sale it may be necessary to prosecute the 



