1905.] 



Belgian Butter Regulations. 



i 1 1 



writers, e.g. Neumann, state also that the egg-laying is done 

 without the horse being disturbed. On the other hand, 

 observers in the South of England and in America record 

 instances of the horse flinching and attempting to escape from 

 the insect. It is possible that the different observations are 

 correct, and that the horse mistakes the attack of the bot fly for 

 that of one of the Tabanidce, but more facts from regions where 

 the insect is common and well known are wanted before the 

 discrepancy can be explained. 



The Belgian legislation forbids the sale of adulterated butter 



and of butter which is " abnormal " according to certain 



standards fixed by regulation in October 



Belgian Butter 1903. The regulations were altered in 

 Regulations. c , . , . _ 



September, 1904, as regards the subject of 



water in butter,* and they have now been further amended 

 with reference to the definition of ' abnormal butter." The 

 new regulation states that butter will be regarded as abnormal 

 in composition, differing from pure butter in general, when 

 the value of the volatile and soluble acids as determined by 

 the Reichert-Meissl method falls below the number 28, and 

 when, in addition, the butter also indicates one of the following 

 factors : a refractive index (Abbe-Zeiss) above 44 at 40 0 C. ; 

 a critical temperature above 57 0 C. of solubility in alcohol at 

 99*1° G.L. ; a density less thano'865 at ioo° C. ; a percentage 

 of insoluble and fixed fatty acids (Hehner) greater than 88*5 

 per cent. ; a saponification number (Koettstorfer) below 222. 

 Butter of which the purity has not been established by means 

 of an official control of its production cannot be prepared for 

 sale, carried, retailed, exposed, or detained for sale or delivery. 



The Board have been officially informed that, as regards 

 imported butter which is " abnormal," the Belgian authorities 

 will take into consideration any guarantee of purity or 

 analytical data which may be supplied by foreign Governments, 

 but that if the Belgian importers are unable to produce such 

 official evidence the suspected butter will not be admitted. 



* Journal of the Board of Agriculture, Vol. XL, p. 494. 



