asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that prosecutions have been taken for fat deficiency in milk against vendors in Limerick who received the milk in sealed bottles and sold it exactly as they received it; and that these people have suffered adverse publicity; and if he will take steps, if necessary, by introducing legislation, to provide that prosecutions for fat deficiency will in future lie against a dairy which bottles such milk.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Limerick Milk Prosecutions.
14.
Under the Sale of Food and Drugs legislation it is an offence for any person to sell to the prejudice of the purchaser any article of food which is not of the required nature, substance and quality. The existing legislation provides that, where an officer of a local authority takes a sample of milk for analysis, the vendor from whom it is taken may serve a notice on the local authority giving the name and address of the person from whom he buys milk and requesting that a sample of the milk be taken for analysis while in transit to him. If legal proceedings are taken against a vendor who serves such a notice, a copy of a certificate of the result of the analysis of this further sample must be furnished to him and is admissible in evidence. The dairy supplying the milk to the vendor is liable to prosecution if the milk is found to be deficient in milk fat before it reaches the latter.