| Administrative History | The County Analyst Department (later Public Analyst Department) of Derbyshire County Council was formed in 1894, when John White was appointed the first County Analyst, on a salary of £350 per annum. The first laboratory was in Derby, but the department later relocated to Smedley's Hydro in Matlock, which became County Hall.
By 1954, eleven people worked within the department. Their duties revolved around the statutory requirements concerning the sale of food products and other articles. By 1954, some 2000 samples were being taken annually by the department under the Food and Drugs Act. They samples were purchased by an inspector, from shops or market stalls. The subsequent analysis may be directed to detect the presence of an adulterant (such as water in milk), or, in certain other foods, to ascertain that the proportion of preservative present does not exceed the amount permitted under the regulations. The analysis may also be extended to ensure that the article is free from prohibited colouring matters or preservatives and from chance metallic contamination. Other departments of the council also used the facilities to determine promptly the quality and standard to specification of materials.
A sample of their records were transferred to Derbyshire Record Office in November 2002, shortly before the service's closure. |
| Custodial History | Acquired by Derbyshire Record Office in 2002 |