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
Southwark 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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33
Education, to demonstrate the dangers of food contamination
by handlers and through exposure to vermin.
Whilst, unfortunately, but little public interest was shown,
a large number of catering trade students as well as schoolchildren
attended the display and lectures.
HORSE FLESH
The Public Health Committee at its meeting in February,
1951, directed that suggestions should be made to the Metropolitan
Boroughs Standing Joint Committee that action should
be taken to have the Meat Regulations applied to the sale of
horse flesh for human consumption.
In this connection, in their report of April, 1951, the
Inter-Departmental Committee on Meat Inspection recommended
that the Public Health (Meat) Regulations should be
amended to include horsemeat intended for sale for human
consumption as it was thought that such meat should be
inspected, handled, stored and transported in the same manner
as other meat.
FOOD SAMPLING During the year under review, 832 formal samples and 898 informal samples were submitted to the Public Analyst. Of these, 27 and 37 respectively revealed adulteration or other infringements, as follows:—
| Samples Examined | Non-genuine Samples | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Informal | Formal | Informal | |
| Milk | 195 | 64 | 4 | — |
| Jellies, Custard Powders etc. | 36 | 40 | 1 | 1 |
| Condensed Milk | — | 5 | — | — |
| Fats, Cheese, etc. | 54 | 43 | — | — |
| Meat and Fish preparations | 69 | 131 | 3 | 4 |
| Cake Mixtures, etc. | 61 | 73 | — | 1 |
| Cereal preparations | 76 | 89 | 4 | 3 |
| Tea, Coffee, Coooa, etc. | 75 | 32 | — | — |
| Vinegar | 17 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| Herbs | 34 | 57 | — | 2 |
| Sweets and Chocolates | 30 | 14 | — | — |
| Spices and Condiments | 61 | 52 | 5 | 4 |
| Pickles, Sauces, etc. | 47 | 43 | — | 1 |
| Jams and Preserves | 21 | 6 | — | — |
| Wines, Spirits, Soft Drinks, etc. | 4 | 91 | 2 | 4 |
| Drugs and Medicine Preparations | 19 | 73 | 5 | 9 |
| Dried Fruits | 16 | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| Ice Cream | — | 25 | — | 2 |
| Miscellaneous Samples | 17 | 22 | — | 3 |
| Totals | 832 | 898 | 27 | 37 |