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
Hayes and Harlington 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hayes]
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Sampling of Food and Drugs.
(a) Miscellaneous foods, such as cream cakes and meat products
are regularly sampled by the Public Health Inspectors for
bacteriological examination. Although there are no recognised
standards of bacteriological quality for this class of food the
results are of considerable assistance to the Inspectors in
their contacts with food-handlers, illustrating, as they often
do, that the greatest care is necessary in the storage and
handling of this class of food.
The bacteriological examination of samples of milk, ice
cream, water and miscellaneous foods is carried out at the Public
Health laboratory, Ealing, and I am indebted to the Director and
Staff of the Laboratory, for their ready assistance at all
times. Details of the samples submitted will be found elsewhere
in this report under their respective headings.
(b) The sampling of food and drugs for chemical analysis is carried out by the Middlesex County Council and the following table and supplementary information regarding samples obtained during the year has been kindly supplied by the Senior Public Control Officer:-
| Article | Total Samples Procured | Unsatisfactory |
|---|---|---|
| Milk (New) | 48 | - |
| Milk (Various) | 39 | - |
| Cutter | 15 | - |
| Cakes | 5 | - |
| Cooked Meat | 8 | - |
| Cream | 16 | - |
| Drugs | 7 | - |
| Pish and Fish Products | 14 | - |
| Fruit - Fresh and Canned | 9 | - |
| Fruit Juice, Squash etc. | 7 | - |
| Ice Cream | 13 | - |
| Liver | 8 | - |
| Margarine | 5 | - |
| Pleat and Meat Products | 27 | - |
| Sausages etc. | 10 | 3 |
| Spirits | 5 | _ |
| Vinegar | 13 | _ |
| Miscellaneous | 18 | _ |
| Totals | 267 | 3 |