"No person shall mix, colour, stain, or powder any article of food with any ingredient or material, so as to render the article injurious to health, with the intent that the same may be sold in that state, and no person shall sell such article under a penalty not exceeding £50."
"No person shall sell to the prejudice of the purchaser any article of food, or any drug which is not of the nature, substance, and quality of the article demanded under a penalty not exceeding £20."
The Act also provides for the appointment of public analysts for counties and boroughs. An Act passed in 1887 provides that all substances or compounds made to imitate butter shall be sold as
Margarine
, and all wrappers, &c., used in its sale must be plainly marked. These Acts are intended for the protection of the public; but we give below the names of a few of the chief articles of consumption that are liable to be adulterated, and when possible how to detect the adulteration, or the best mode of avoiding it.
2748. Bread
The chief adulteration of
bread
is alum. This is added to give the bread a pure white colour, which is supposed to be an advantage, thus enabling the baker to use inferior or damaged flour. The presence of alum can be detected by soaking a piece of the bread in an ammoniaca tincture of logwood. If alum be present the bread will be turned
blue