REPORT FOR A N A L Y T I C A L CHEMISTS
B through
reak
in fine particle analysis!
ner to specify limits for pesticide residues b u t nevertheless the use of pesticides in agriculture and food storage is largely controlled by the Government's Notification Scheme. This is a voluntary scheme and, so far as can be ascertained, works satisfactorily. Under this scheme a pesticide is not accepted for use for release to the grower or farmer until the Ministry's Advisory Committee on Poisonous Substances used in Agriculture and Food Storage is satisfied t h a t if the pesticide is used, or applied, according to the Manufacturer's direction then no harmful residues will remain a t the time of harvest. T h e Manufacturers in making the application for the approval of the pesticide submit to the Committee very full information concerning the product which information includes: —
The COULTER COUNTER® counts and sizes 100,000 particles in 20 seconds
(1) its nature, or composition, and pests it is designed to control,
. . . 1 by 1!
(2) its mode of application and crops to which is applicable, (3) full toxicity d a t a from which the level of permissible residues m a y be judged, and
* reproducible * 1500 installations * range: .5 microns to 250 microns * from catsup to ores; polymers to contarn i nants . . . whatever the material!
(4) results of field trials including detailed information of residues remaining a t different times before, and after, harvest.
COULTER INDUSTRIAL SALES CO. 2525 N. Sheffield Ave. Chicago 14, Illinois a division of Coulter Electronics, Inc.
Trade Mark
COULTER INDUSTRIAL SALES CO. 2525 N. Sheffield Ave. AC-1-63 Chicago 14, Illinois a division of Coulter Electronics Inc. Please send c o m p l e t e d e t a i l s about t h e Coulter Counter. Have your representative get in touch (or a demonstration in our office.
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Circle No. 151 on Readers' Service Card 28 A
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
As in the U. S. the Committee, in considering residue figures, always allows a very large margin of safety and also takes into consideration any metabolic products which m a y be produced within the crop. If the Committee gives approval for the use of a chemical, then recommendations for use are given by the Committee which specify the dilution and rate which the pesticide is to be applied, and also to the crops to which it is applicable. Recommendations are also made as to whether protective clothing, etc., should be worn b y agricultural
workers while using the pesticide. Two further sections of the Food and Drugs Act assist the responsible authorities in the control of additives. Section (5) gives the M i n istry power to obtain information from Manufacturers concerning the n a t u r e of any chemical additive which they use in the preparation of their food products. Finally Section (7) of the Act gives the Ministry power to m a k e regulations governing the labelling of foodstuffs, in particular in respect of details of their composition. T h e Labelling of Food Order requires a complete disclosure of all ingredients used in the preparation of foodstuffs with certain exceptions, which exceptions unfortunately include some of the more common articles of diet such as bread, etc. T h u s theoretically at any rate, with the exception of certain of the more staple articles of diet, the presence of additives and their n a t u r e should be disclosed on the label. One weakness exists, however, in t h a t in some instances they m a y be covered b y a generic term such as colour or flavour. Accidental contamination of a possible harmful nature, such as m a y be picked up during food process—e.g., contamination with traces of heavy metals of the nature of lead and copper and arsenical contamination—scarcely fall within the category of additives b u t nevertheless such possible contaminants of foodstuffs are covered by regulations which specify the maximum permissible quantities for different foodstuffs. To a certain extent, packaging and contamination which m a y be acquired through use of unsuitable wrapping materials falls within a similar category. The Plastic Federation of the U. K. has long realized the possible danger to foodstuffs due to the use of unsatisfactory plastic wrapping and packaging materials and some six years ago established a Toxicity Sub Committee to deal with this aspect of their work. I n general it m a y be
