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
Camberwell 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell.
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1-27
APPENDIX.
Report of Administration in connection with the Public Health
(Milk and Cream) Regulations, 1912. for the Year ended
December 31st.1913.
1. Milk and cream not sold as preserved cream :-
| – | (a) Number of Samples examined for the p esence of a preservative. | (b) Number in which a preservative was reported to be present. |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | – | – |
| Cream | 37 | 31 |
Nature of preservative in each case in column (b) and action taken unaer the
Regulations in regard to it.
In each case the preservative was boric acid in quantities
varying from 0.39 to 0.09 per cent., and in each case a caution was
addressed to the vendor by the Public Health Committee.
2. Cream sold as preserved cream.
(a) Instances in which samples have been submitted for analysis to
ascertain if the statements on the label as to preservatives were correct.
(1) Correct statements made 22
(2) Statements incorrect —
Total 22
(6) Determinations made of milk fat in cream sold as preserved cream.
(1) Above 35 per cent 11
(2) Below 36 per cent. -
Total 11
(c), (d) There were 13 instances in which the requirements as tolabelling,
&c., were not complied with ; in 4 of these the cream in
bulk was not labelled, and in 4 others the fact of its being preserved
cream was not declared until after the purchase had been completed.
In each of these 13 instances a caution was sent to the vendor.
3. No evidence was found of any addition of thickened substances
to cream or to preserved cream.
4. In addition to the above samples, which were taken formally,
37 were taken informally ; of these 24 were not labelled, and 13
were labelled " preserved." Twenty-four were analysed, and of
these 16 were found to contain boric acid preservative.
The amount of preserved cream sold in Camberwell is comparatively
small, as the sale is almost confined to the strawberry
season, except in the wealthier districts ; those who require cream
at other times usually procure it from their milkmen.
We find that the requirements of the Regulations were much
more fully complied with in the case of the samples taken towards
the middle of the year than at the beginning. For example, all the
cases mentioned above of declarations of preservatives after purchase
occurred in the early part of the year.