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REPORT OF THE KING INSTITUTE, GUINDY

APPENDIX A.

A COPY OF THE MADRAS PREVENTION OF ADULTERATION ACT, 1918, AND THE
AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED BY THE PUBLIC ANALYST.

MADRAS ACT No. III OF 1918.

The Madras Prevention of Adulteration Act, 1918.

Preamble.

     WHEREAS it is expedient, in the interests of the public health, to prevent the adulteration of
food; It is hereby enacted as follows:—

Short title
and extent

       1. (1) This Act may be called the Madras Prevention of Adulteration Act, 1918.

         (2) This section extends to the whole of the Madras Presidency; the rest of the Act.
Shall extend only to such local areas as the Local Government may by notification in the .Fort
St. George Gazette direct, and in. respect either of all food or such as the Local Government
may specify in the notification; and, if the Local Government so direct, only for the duration
of any market, fair or festival or other large assembly of people.

       Provided that such notification shall be made only after the local authority or authorities
concerned have had an opportunity of expressing an opinion as to the necessity for such
extension.

Interpreta-
tion clause.

       2. In. this Act unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context:—

           ‘ food ’ includes every article (other than drags or water) used by man for food or
drink, and all material used or admixed in the composition or preparation of such article and
shall also include flavouring matter and condiments;

           ‘ butter ’ and ‘ cheese ’ mean respectively butter and cheese made exclusively from milk
or cream or both with or without the addition of salt, or other innocuous preserative, or of
innocuous colouring matter;

           ‘ ghee ’ means ghee prepared exclusively from butter made from cow's or buffalo's.
Milk or cream or both;

           ‘ prescribed ’ means precribed by rules made under this Act;

           ‘ public analyst ’ means any person appointed by or with the approval of the Local
Government to exercise the powers of a public analyst under this Act;

           ‘ local executive officer ’ means, in any municipality in which there is a commissioner,
the commissioner; in other municipalities, the president or chairman, of the council; and in
or for other local areas, the president of the taluk board, or if there is no taluk board, the
president of the district board, or if there is no taluk or district board, such public servant as
may be designated by the Local Government for the exercise of the functions of a local
executive officer under this Act.

Delegation of
powers of
local
executive
officers.

       3. (1) The local executive officer may delegate his powers and duties under this Act to
such persons and in such manner as may be prescribed.

         (2) Every person to whom powers have been delegated under this section shall be
deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.

Appointment
of analyst.

       4. (1) The local authority having control over any local area to which any provisions of
this Act may be extended may, subject to the approval of Government, appoint a public
analyst for such area.

       (2) When no public analyst has been appointed under sub-section (1), the Local:
Government may appoint one for any one or more areas to which they have extended the
provisions of this Act, and if local authorities have been constituted for such areas, may
require such authorities to defray in whole or in part and in such proportions as the Local.
Government may determine, the expenses of and connected with the appointment of the
analyst and of executing this Act.

         (3) For the enforcement of a requisition made under sub-section. (2) the Local Govern-
ment shall have all such powers of control over every local authority as are given to them in
respect of any similar matter by the Act under which such local authority is established.

Offences and
exceptions.

       5. (1) Every person who

           (a) sells any food which is not of the nature, substance or quality of the article
demanded by the purchaser; or

           (b) manufactures for sale, or offers for sale or hawks about or sells any food which is
not of the nature, substance or quality which it purports, or is represented to be; or

           (c) abstracts from any food any part of it so as to affect injuriously the nature,
substance or quality thereof with intent that it should be sold in its altered state without
notice of the alteration, or sells any article so altered without making disclosure of the
alteration; or