Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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ICECREAM
Food Standards (Icecream) Regulations, 1959
Labelling of food (Amendment) Regulations 1959
The composition of 13 icecream samples submitted to the public analyst during the
year are shown in the appended table:
Samples | Average percentage composition | ||
---|---|---|---|
Fat | Total solids-not fat | Water | |
13 | 8.2 | 24.9 | 66.9 |
GRADING
Icecream is submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for bacteriological examination
The icecream is graded according to the time taken to decolorise a dye, methylene
blue. The test is a provisional one and because of the many factors which govern the
hygienic quality of icecream it is recommended officially that judgement should be
based on a series of samples and that too much attention should not be paid to the
result of an individual sample. It is suggested that over a six-monthly period, at
least 50 per cent of a vendor's samples should fall into grade 1, 80 per cent into
grades 1 or 2, not more than 20 per cent into grade 3 and none into grade 4.
During the year 35 samples of icecream were submitted for bacteriological examination
with the following results:
Samples submitted | % | |
---|---|---|
Grade I | 14 | 40 |
Grade II | 9 | 26 |
Grade III | 4 | 11 |
Grade IV | 8 | 23 |
TOTAL | 35 | 100 |
In general, grades I and II are satisfactory, while grades III and IV may indicate
some defect in manufacture, handling or storage. Such cases are followed up and
advice given.
FOOD GENERALLY
Adulteration of food
The number of samples taken during the year under the Food and Drugs Act was
837; of these 7 were formal and 830 informal. After examination the public analyst
reported that 54 of the samples were adulterated or below standard which amounted
to 6.5 per cent of all the samples submitted.
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