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
Lambeth 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
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22
(b) For bacteriological and other examinations
The following tables show the number and types of samples submitted for bacteriological and other examinations:— Table 2 Food other than milk
| The following tables show the number and types of samples submitted for bacteriological and other examinations:— Table 2 Food other than milk | |
| Ice cream and Ice cream Mix | 123 |
| Ice cream plant rinsings | 12 |
| Milk bottle rinsings | 5 |
| Flour | 1 |
| Gum Tragacanth | 1 |
| *Canned Bacon | |
| Canned Beef | 1 |
| Bread | 1 |
| Calves' foot jelly | 1 |
| *Fish cake | I |
| *Meat | 3 |
| *Winkles | 1 |
| 8Pineapple | 1 |
| Total | 153 |
* The articles marked with an asterisk were suspected to have
caused food poisoning but in no case was a food poisoning organism
isolated.
It is of interest to note that on the 1st April the Ice Cream
(Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1947, came into operation.
At about this time also the Ministry of Health suggested that
experimental examinations of ice cream might be carried out,
using a modified form of the methylene blue test at present in
use for milk, and this form of test has been adopted. In addition,
for the purpose of providing a check, the recommended form of
test for the presence and degree of concentration of coliform
bacilli has been carried out on each sample of ice cream and ice
cream mix.
These examinations have been a great help in the campaign
against unclean and careless production and handling of ice
cream, and a glance at Table 3 below will show to what degree
improvements were effected as the season progressed.