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The work of meat inspection has progressed smoothly throughout the year, your inspectors
having received full co-operation from the Riparian Authorities, Shipping Companies, Meat
Importers and Port of London Authority. The facilities given by the P.L.A. Meat Department
have enabled the work at the Cutting Store to progress to the limits of capacity of the present
store.
Although the foregoing tables reflect a great deal of routine work, some matters of unusual
interest have also been dealt with by your inspectors
1. Detention and examination of Swedish Pigs.
2. The control of Bechuanaland meat.
3. Re-exportation of Australian scrap-meat.
4. Damage to meat resulting from the dock strike.
5. The implementation of the Food Hygiene (Docks Carriers, etc.) Regulations, 1960.
Swedish Pigs
As the result of a routine inspection of Swedish Pigs, lesions of disease, subsequently
proved to be tubercular, were found in the submaxillary lymph nodes with the result that all
subsequent importations were placed under detention for examination. During the period January
to March some 6,071 carcases were examined resulting in the condemnation of 335 heads. The
examination was made by serially numbering both head and carcase, then removing the heads for
thawing out for proper examination of the submaxillary lymph nodes. Those heads showing
disease were condemned and the carcase split to examine carcase lymph nodes and bone structure
for lesions of tuberculosis. Heads and carcases of disease-free pigs were then released.
In view of the fact that Smithfield Market — Greenwich — Bermondsey also had Swedish pigs in
their cold stores your inspectors worked in close liaison with the inspectors of those authorities,
thus effecting co-ordination of action taken to control this importation.
It was essential to determine conclusively whether the lesions were those of tuberculosis or
corynebacterium equi and specimens were taken to St. Bartholomews Hospital where Professor
Garrod was able to prove by living cultures the presence of tubercle bacilli.
Dr. Blom (Director of Swedish Veterinary Services) visited the docks and personally examined
a number of pigs at the cold store.
Bechuanaland — Meat
It has been the practice where unusual importations of meat arrive in these docks to take
samples for bacteriological examination. It was in this manner that the presence of Salmonella
organisms was first established in Bechuanaland meat to such an extent as to cause considerable
disquiet. The meat consisted of bone-in fores and hinds and cartons of boneless meat cuts.
The results of sampling showed that the bone-in beef was negative but the meat which had been
boned out was infected. Of 85 samples drawn, 10 from early shipments were positive Salmonella.
The meat in dock store was detained and subsequently released with the exception of 1,348
cartons still on hand.
Re-exportation of Australian Scrap Meat
A close watch is kept on the importation of boneless meats with the result that three importations
totalling 1,156 cartons of meat described as boneless beef, which on examination proved
to be scrap meat, were detained and subsequently re-exported.
The Australian Veterinary Adviser visited the docks to inspect and obtain photographic evidence
of this flagrant contravention of the Imported Food Regulations.
Damage to meat resulting from Dock Strike
The London dock strike was protracted and resulted in very considerable dislocation of the
turn round of shipping as a result; ships that had partly discharged in the docks were sent to
continental ports, and ships homeward bound were diverted to various continental ports where
meat was discharged and housed in cold stores and other vessels used as store ships. This
meat was subsequently shipped to London and your inspectors found that the working of meat at
ports not skilled in the handling of this commodity had resulted in extensive soiling of sheep and
lamb carcases necessitating the detention for re-shirting and trimming of 1,422 carcases.
The Food Hygiene (Dock Carriers, etc.) Regulations, 1960
The implementation of the above regulations has been progressing steadily and is receiving
the co-operation of both shipping and stevedoring companies.
Your inspectors have received a number of requests by the various dock interests for guidance
in the interpretation and application of the broad principles of hygiene with the result that
particular attention is now being paid to the cleanliness of quaysides at meat berths.
It was considered that uniformity in the application of hygiene principles in the docks was
essential and with this in mind a draft code of practice was drawn up and considered as a basis
for subsequent discussion with the appropriate interests. It was fortunate that your inspectors
were able to utilise the period during the dock strike for preliminary contacts with those concerned
in the observance of the new Regulations.
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