§ LORD EUSTACE CECILasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been drawn to the Report of Mr. Blyth, Analyst under the Adulteration of Food Act, to the Devonshire Court of Quarter Sessions, dated June 13th 1882, in which, speaking of the adulteration of butter and milk, he compares the difference of limit between the public analysts of 1874 and that of the Somerset House Certificate at the present time; and, whether he proposes to take steps in the interest of the public to raise the standard of purity in both those articles?
§ MR. DODSONMr. Blyth, in his Report, speaking of the adulteration of butter and milk, compared the difference of limit between the public analysts of 1874 and that of the Somerset House certificate at the present time. There is no doubt as to the difference in limit between the two bodies. The Somerset House analysts, however, are not alone in their opinion, and I am now in communication with them on the subject; 588 but at present I am not prepared to say whether it would be practicable to define any such standard of purity as would effectually protect the public from adulteration on the one hand, and the honest dealer from prosecution on the other, simply because the natural products in which the latter deals may happen to fall below some arbitrary standard of quality.