GOVERNMENT ORDERS. 109 GOVERNMENT ORDERS. 64,4821 (8th Pebrwary, 1917.) MILK AND CREAM REGULATIONS : AMENDING ORDER. To the several Local Autho:rities in England and Wales for the time being authorised to appoint an analyst for the purposes of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1907; to Officers of Customs and Excise; to the Principal Chemist of the Government Laboratories ; to Medical Officers of Health; to Public Analysts; to Dairymen, and to Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Milk and Cream; and to all others whom it may concern.WHEREAS, for the prevention of danger arisJng to public health, We, the Local Governmept Board, by the Public Health (Milk and Cream) Regulations, 1912 (here- inafter referred to as “ the Regulations ”), made certain Regulations in relation to Milk and Cream; And whereas by sub-division (1) of Article IV.comprised in Part 11. of the Regulations it is, amongst other things, provided that no person shall add, or order or permit any other person to add, to cream containing 35 per cent. or more by weight of milk fat any preservative substance other than- (i) boric acid, borax, or a mixture of those preservative substances; or in any case in which the cream is intended for sale for human consumption; and by sub-division (2) of Article IV.it is provided that no person shall sell, or expose or offer for sale, or have in his possession for the purpose of sale, any cream to which any preservative substance has been added in contravention of the provisions of sub- division (1) of the Article ; And whereas by sub-division (2) of Article V.comprised in Part 11. of the Regu- lations it is, subject as therein mentioned, provided that no seller of preserved cream shall deposit for sale in any place, or despatch or deliver to any purchaser, or to any other person, any receptacle containing preserved cream intended for human con- sumption unless the receptacle is labelled in the manner prescribed in the Schedule to the Regulations and unless, in the case of preserved cream containing boric acid, borax, or a mixture of those preservative substances, the amount of those substances calculated as boric acid (H3B03) is accurately stated as not exceeding the limit specified on the label in the manner prescribed in the said Schedule; And whereas by Article VIII.comprised in Part 111. of the Regulations it is, amongst other things, provided that no person shall import into England or Wales any foreign cream containing 35 per cent. or more by weight of milk fat to which has been added any preservative substance other than- (i) boric acid, borax, or a mixture of those preservative substances; or (ii) hydrogen peroxide ; or any foreign preserved cream which is not contained in a vessel or receptacle duly hbelled in the manner prescribed in the Schedule to the Regulations; (ii) hydrogen peroxide110 GOVERNMENT ORDERS And whereas it is expedient that the Regulations should be amended as herein- after set forth ; And whereas the Commissioners of Customs and Excise have signified their consent to the amendments of the Regulations so far as they apply to the Officers of Customs and Excise: NW THEREFORE, We, by this Our Order, and in the exercise of the powers conferred upon Us by the Public Health Act, 1875, the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the Public Health Act, 1896, and the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, and of every other power enabling Us in that behalf, do hereby Order that on and after Monday the Second day of April, 1917, the Regulations shall be read and have effect as if- (a) the words “in amount not exceeding 0.4 per cent.boric acid (H3B0,) by weight of the preserved cream’’ were inserted in Article IV. and also in Article VIII. of the Regulations after the words “ boric acid, borax, or a mixture of those preservative substances ”; (b) for the paragraphs numbered respectively 1, 2, and 5 in the Schedule to the Regulations there were substituted the following paragraphs, that is to say: “ 1.Every receptac1.e containing preserved cream shall be labelled by affixing thereto an adhesive label in the form prescribed, in this Schedule referred to as the ‘ declaratory label.’ Provided that, where the receptacle is made of cardboard, the declaratory label may be printed on the outside of the cardboard itself.“ 2. Every declaratory label shall be in the form and contain the informa. tion indicated in Label I. or Label 11, set out in this Schedule, a8 the case may require. Such information shall be printed in dark co!oured type, of not less size than that shown in the said Label I. or Label II., upon a white or cream coloured ground in the centre of the declara- tory label, and nothing else shall.be printed on the declara.tory label; except that in every case in which Label I. is used the maximum amount per cent. of boric acid (H3B0,) contained in the preserved cream shall be stated in figures on the declaratory label. “LABEL I. LABEL 11. Containing BORlC ACID NOT SUITABLE FOR INFANTS OR lNVALlD8.not exceeding PER CENT. PRESERVED CREAM CPE RO X I DE) NOT SUITABLE FOR INFANTS OR INVALIDS. “ 5. The declaratory label shall not be affixed or printed either over the This Order may be cited as “ The Public Health (Milk and Cream) Regulations, Given under the Seal of Office of the Local Government Board, this Eighth day of February, in the year One thousand nine hundred and seventeen mouth of the receptacle or beneath the receptacle.” 1912, Amendment Order, 1917.” RHOXDDA, President.H. C. MONBO, Secretary.GOVERN MEN ‘1’ 0 R.D E K S 111 LOCAL GOVERSRIENT BOARD, WHITEHALL, S. W., 9th February, 1917. PUBLIC HEALTH (REGULATIONS AS TO FOOD) ACT, 1907. Amending Regulations with respect to Cream. SIR, I am directed by the President of the Local Government Board to transmit to you the enclosed copies of an Order which has been made amending the Public Health (Milk and Cream) Regulations. 1912.Numerous representations have been made to this Department on the subject of boric acid in cream. Some of these representations have urged that the use of preservatives in cream should be wholly prohibited; others have urged that it would be impracticable to carry on the present trade in jugged cream unless some small amount of preservative is added, and the Department has been asked to lay down a maximum limit.The question is one of some difficulty, and it has been decided to appoint a small expert Committee for the purpose of inquiring further in regard to it. In consequence of the War, the appointment of this Committee has necessarily been postponed, and as an interim measure, Lord Rhondda has decided to issue the Order, copies of which are enclosed.This Order prescribes that not more than 0.4 per cent. of boric acid shall be added to cream, that cream to which boric acid has been added shall be sold as preserved cream, and that there shall be affixed to the receptacle containing such cream a label stating that cream containing boric acid is unsuitable for infants and invalids.The inquiry which it is proposed to institute may show that the limit should be less than 0.4 per cent., which is the maximum fixed by the present amending Regulations. Attention is drawn to this point in order that dealers in this article may make every effort to reduce the preservative to the smallest possible amount or even to dispense with its use ehtirely.By adopting this course the trade will find less difficulty in complying with any further restrictions which may be made as a result of the findings of the Committee referred to. In temporarily forbidding a greater addition of boric acid than 0-4 per cent., the Department must not be regarded as deciding the question proposed for inquiry as to whether this amount of boric acid is or is not injurious to the consumer; but pending the result of the proposed inquiry, Lord Rhondda would deprecate any prosecutions being instituted in respect of the sale of preserved cream which complies with the Regulations as now amended.The Order comes into operation on the 2nd of April next. Copies of the Order and of this Circular are also enclosed for transmission to the Medical Officer of Health and Public Analyst.112 REVIEWS The Order and this Circular will be placed on sale, and copies may shortly be obtained, either directly or through any bookseller, from His Majesty’s Stationery Office, Imperial House, Kingsway, London, W.C. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, The Town Clerk, The Clerk to the County CounciE. Or H. C. M o m , Secretary.