The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1304, 1 October 1883, Page 2

The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TR I-WEEKLY.

MONDAY, OCTOBER l, 1883.

Tue " Adulteration of Food Act," passed during the late Parliament, ■omws into operation oil the. Ist December next, and as it contains some very stringent provisions, it is well that tradespeople should know something about it in timf. . The Act has not yet been printed; but we give below a summary taken from the Bill as iJ passed the House. The following are its principal features :— "Every baker must have, his full in itials stamped in Boman letters, not less than an inch long, upon every loaf baked , by him or sold from his bakery, under a penalty of £5 foreveiy loaf sold without being so stamped. He is also required under the same penalty to have the true weight of the loaf similarly stamped upon, it /in figures of like size, and there is an equal penalty for every person offering for sale in any store, shop, or building, or in any street or public resortkny loaf not so stamped, or for any person selling bread deficient in weight. In selling ** stale bread," which is defined as bread which has been manufactured for .24 hours or more, a stale loaf may be short weight, but the loss is to be made up **y addiug other bread, bo that the customers shall receive the weight paid for, and a penalty of £5 is prescribed for the infringement of this rule. 'Bakers are to sell bread only in " French loaves " or " batch loaves," of two, four, six, or eight pounds in weight respectively, a £5 fine being again imposed for the infringement of these provisions, but this does not apply to " fancy bread." Inspectors are to examine from time to time bivad off-red for sale within their districts to test the weight of loaves For resistance to inspection there is a fine of £5. Inspectors are to b*- appointed by th.- local authoritiea Any purchaser of drugs or articles of food may have them analysed by a Government analyst on paym nt of a fee, and prosecute if adulteration is detected, and inspectors may procure for analysis samples of food or drugs by paying the ordinary price. A £10 penalty is provide d for refusal to sell. In purchase for analysis, the purchaser must divide the article into' three parts, each sealed up ; one to be, delivered to the vendor, one to the analyst,, and one to be retained by the purchaser for comparison. Samples of imported wines oVi spirits, may be demanded wit hon> payment, by the Inspector for analysis, and. if adulteration is discovered, the • [ importermnst enter info a bond io de- ! stroy the adulterated liquor or to export it from the colony, failing which it is' to be destroyed by theCusoms. All milk and other articles of food, ami all drugs mnst reach a standard specified in the schedule ' to the Act. Spirits may be reduced in strength by dilution with water to 25 degrees under proof in case of brandy, whisky, or rum, or 35 degrees for gin. It is to be no defence to a prosecution for adulteration to prove that tbe analysit's fee has not been paid, or that ihe purchaser who" bjught for analysis was not prejudiced by the sale of the article, or that the article, though defective in nature or substance or quality, was no- defective in all these respects. A ll fines recovered under this Act are »ogo io •he loca; bodies." •