Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report on the health of the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
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Joint visits were paid by the Food Inspector and myself to certain places where food is prepared:—
Number. | Inspections and Calls. | |
---|---|---|
Restaurants | 51 | 104 |
Fried Fish premises | 48 | 106 |
Oyster bars | 2 | 6 |
Offal boilers | 3 | 61 |
Other food premises (butchers' shops where sausages are made) | 28 | 912 |
Confectionery works, etc. | 4 | 50 |
136 | 1239 |
Reports on some Places where Food is Prepared.
Pickle Factory.
These premises are registered as a workshop and are used for the
purpose of pickle manufacture ; the premises are not modern, but have
been adapted to the present purpose. The general condition of the
workroom is fair, the cement floor is well drained to gullies outside
the building. The lighting is good, but the stores and yard are not too
clean and frequent visits are made here in consequence.
The Process. Practically all the materials used in these works are
imported from Holland, and consist of cauliflowers, cabbages, apples,
onions, gherkins, cucumbers, walnuts, marrows, spices, vinegar, mustard,
etc. The vegetable material is packed in barrels containing brine.
After being washed, the vegetable material is cut up and mixed, and
flavouring material, such as chillies, is added. The whole is then
packed in jars, then these are filled with a solution of mustard and
vinegar according to the pickle desired. Onions, walnuts, gherkins,
etc., are packed whole into jars, which are then filled with vinegar or
mustard solution.
Five females and four males are employed at these works. For
the women there is one pedestal w.c. in the yard : recently this was
suitably screened on the Inspector's instructions. All the males are
members of Mr.-'s family ; their house adjoins the works, and the
same provides sufficient sanitary accommodation. The only washing
accommodation for the women consists of a trough—an old horse
trough—in the yard. This is very unsatisfactory, but we cannot enforce