Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea for the year 1923
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79
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
The total number of samples taken under these Acts during 1923
was 902. Of this number 65 (i.e., 7-2 per cent.) were certified by
the Public Analyst to be adulterated. In addition to the foregoing,
298 informal samples were purchased, of which 22 (i.e., 7.4 per cent.)
were reported by the Public Analyst as adulterated or not up to
standard.
The following table gives details of the articles of which samples were obtained for purposes of analysis :—
Examined. | Adulterated. | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Formal | Informal | Total | Formal | Informal | Total | |
Arrowroot | — | 12 | 12 | — | 0 | 0 |
Bread | — | 3 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 |
Butter | 22 | 125 | 147 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Cake—Jam Sandwich | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 |
„ Sponge | 5 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
„ Madeira | — | 10 | 10 | — | 9 | 9 |
Camphorated Oil | — | 9 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 |
Cheese | 21 | — | 21 | 0 | — | 0 |
Cocoa | 6 | 17 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Coffee | 20 | — | 20 | 0 | — | 0 |
Cream | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 2 |
, Preserved | 9 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
„ of Tartar | 12 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
Honey | 4 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lard | 16 | 6 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Margarine | 12 | 17 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Milk | 702 | — | 702 | 43 | — | 43 |
„ (separated) | 10 | — | 10 | 2 | — | 2 |
Mustard | — | 8 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 |
Olive Oil | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pepper | — | 7 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 |
Prescriptions | 10 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Preserved Meats, &c. | 9 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Rice | 5 | 18 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sago | — | 4 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 |
Sausages | 16 | — | 16 | 5 | — | 5 |
Sugar | — | 4 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 |
Vinegar | 15 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
902 | 298 | 1,200 | 65 | 22 | 87 |
With regard to the 87 samples certified to be adulterated legal
proceedings were instituted in 42 instances, and cautionary letters
were addressed to the vendors in 9 cases by direction of the Health
Committee.