London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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1927 60
The food destroyed or otherwise disposed of (chiefly for pigs' food) so as to prevent its use for human food was as follows :—
| Tons. | cwts. | qrs. | lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diseased meat and organs from slaughter-houses | - | 3 | - | 27* |
| Fish surrendered in bad condition | - | 14 | 1 | 25 |
| Tinned and bottled foods surrendered in bad condition | - | 12 | 1 | 12 |
| Fruit and Vegetables do do. | 3 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Sundry small quantities of foods | - | - | - | 20 |
| Total | 4 | 13 | 2 | 20 |
| * Of this quantity 14 lbs. was Tuberculous. | ||||
The total amount of unsound or diseased meat, fish, fruit, and other food
destroyed was 4 tons 13 cwt. 2 qrs. 20 lbs. The diseases which affected animal
food are set out in detail on page 63.
UNSOUND FOOD.
In connection with unsound food it is of interest to mention in some detail one
or two instances. In May a dealer purchased from a City firm three tons of a
special brand of chocolate at a penny per pound for cattle food only. While we
could trace no absolute evidence that this particular consignment; of chocolate was
being sold, the fact remained that one of our Inspectors traced in a confectioner's
shop in the borough a quantity of rancid chocolate of the same brand, which had
been purchased from a dealer in South Tottenham. There was a strong suspicion
that this Tottenham dealer was an agent of the person who had received the chocolate
for cattle food, but as generally happens in these cases, the matter was so
involved that no particular person could be proceeded against, but we obtained
a surrender of as much of the chocolate as we could trace in the borough. It is
believed that the chocolate was made with oil in Belgium and was either rancid
when made, or rapidly became so.
UNSOUND TINNED FOOD. BLOWN TINS OF LOGANBERRIES.
During the year a further report on tinned food of doubtful quality was submitted
by the Medical Officer of Health to the Public Health Committee.
Shops, etc., Inspection of.-The 716 shops and places where foodstuffs
are sold may be approximated for the year as follows :—
Butchers, provision dealers, etc., shops, 250; meat, provisions, rabbits, tinned
foods, etc., stalls, 28; food preparation establishments, 14; fish shops, 110; fish
stalls, 10; fruit shops, 214; and about 90 fruit, etc., stalls and barrows, including
stalls in the Metropolitan Cattle Market inspected on Tuesdays and Fridays. To
these 23,563 visits were paid, apportioned as follows :—
Butchers, Provision Dealers, etc., Shops 7,985 visits
Food Preparation Establishments 132 ,,
Butcher, Provision, etc., Stalls 2,317 ,,
Fish Shops 1,461 ,,
Fish Stalls 706 ,,
Fruit Shops 2,706 ,,
Fruit Stalls 8,256 ,,
Total 23,563 ,,
No summonses were taken out under Sec. 47 of the Public Health (Lond.)
Act, 1891, during the year.