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
Lewisham 1957
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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57
Adulteration of food
The number of samples taken during the year under the Food
and Drugs Act was 440, all of which were informal. After examination
the public analyst reported that all the samples were genuine, the
percentage of adulteration therefore amounting to 0 as compared with
2.69 for the previous year.
The following table gives the groupings and the results of the samples analysed : — Table 40
| ARTICLES | Informal | ARTICLES | Informal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 13 | Fruit and Vegetables | 7 |
| Cereals and Baking Powder | 23 | Icecream | 70 |
| Lard and Suet | 6 | ||
| Cheese | 5 | Margarine | 8 |
| Cocoa, coffee, tea | 17 | Meat, canned and pies | 5 |
| Confectionery (sweets) | 4 | Milk and Cream | 68 |
| Condiments and flavourers | 77 | Milk, condensed | 8 |
| Paste, fish and meat | 23 | ||
| Drugs | 47 | Sausages | 4 |
| Flour | 9 | Spirits | 4 |
| Other foods | 42 | ||
| TOTAL | 440 |
Other samples
In addition to samples submitted to the public analyst or bacteriologist
for routine sampling, the following were submitted for various
reasons, but mainly because of complaints received, or as a result of
enquiries made into cases of food poisoning:—
Sausages (9) Crab meat
Ball gum Cauliflower-cheese
Peas Mussels
Cooked Beef
Registration of food premises
Reregistration of food premises was continued consequent to the
coming into force of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, which requires
the specific registration of any rooms or accommodation used for the
purpose for which registration is required, as distinct from the Food
and Drugs Act, 1938 which required merely registration of the premises.
During the year the following were registered, the total (including the previous year) being shown in the last column.
| Type | 1957 | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sale and storage of ice-cream | 120 | 245 |
| Manufacture of icecream | — | — |
| Fish frying | 10 | 16 |
| Fish curing | 5 | 11 |
| Preparation or manufacture of sausages | 29 | 56 |
| Preparation or manufacture of potted, pressed, pickled or preserved food | 39 | 84 |