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1905]
230
INSPECTION OF FOOD.
Owing to the recent revelations in the United States, the question of food
inspection has become a burning one in this country, as the public, having been
well scared, are most anxious to know under what conditions their foods,
particularly their meat supplies, are prepared.
In Islington this need not cause any anxiety, for in 1899 a fully qualified
Inspector was appointed on the advice of the Medical Officer of Health by the
then Vestry to inspect places where animals are slaughtered, and food is
prepared and sold, and to examine the food that was sold. It is curious to
look back now on the fact that this proposal was met with considerable opposition
in the Vestry, as it was deemed unnecessary to employ a man for this
purpose on the grounds that there was no need of special supervision in these
matters as the places were believed to be well conducted, and the food good, and
also, it was stated, because the largest quantity of meat sold in the Borough
had already been inspected in the Central Meat Market and the Corporation
Slaughterhouses and Meat Market, Caledonian Road.
Nevertheless, the recommendation was carried, and the result has been
a most marked change in the conditions under which animals are slaughtered
and food prepared in the Borough.
Food Destroyed.—During the year the Inspector condemned 1 ton 11 cwt.
1 qr. 4 lbs. of meat, which he found to be either diseased or unfit for food, in
the slaughterhouses and shops of the borough. Of this amount over 14 cwt. was
condemned in the slaughterhouses, and consisted entirely of diseased meat and
organs, while in the shops over 1 cwt. of unsound meat was taken. More than
1 cwt. of ox tongues, 5 cwt. Turkeys, 7 cwt. tripe were surrendered to the
Inspector, all of which would probably have found its way into the public
market if there had been no Meat Inspector in the Borough.
The total amount of food destroyed during the past five years has
exceeded 17^ tons, which is a very large weight considering that the Inspector
has no large market to supervise, such as the Central Meat Market in the City
and the outside markets in Finsbury.