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56
FOOD INSPECTION AT QUEENBOROUGH.
The inspection of food at Queenborough, under the Unsound Food and
Foreign Meat Regulations, has been carried out by Dr. Legge, with the
assistance of an Inspector occasionally. Two boats arrive from Flushing each
day, and bring quantities of fresh meat, especially on certain nights of the
week.
The official certificate of the Netherlands Government had been approved
by the Local Government Board prior to January 1st, but there were a number
of pig carcasses imported which had not been subjected to inspection by the
proper authorities, and as these did not bear the official certificates, they were
detained by the officers of His Majesty's Customs, in compliance with a request
made by me, and several were found to be affected with tuberculosis. The
Foreign Meat Regulations provide that these must be re-exported, but the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, also provides that "meat which is diseased
... may be seized and destroyed."
The consignors were apparently disposed to send diseased pigs on the
chance that they might escape detection, and if discovered, they would be
returned. I decided to seize any future lots of diseased pig carcasses. This
action at once stopped the export of doubtful and diseased carcasses, and an
Act was subsequently passed by the Netherlands Government which forbade the
export of pig carcasses which were not officially certified, and since then a
regular inspection has been carried out at Queenborough to see that the
Regulations were complied with, and also to inspect the pig carcasses to
ensure that they were not affected with tuberculosis.
On the 3rd November, three cases, labelled "fresh meat" were found to
contain three wild boars in bags. They were without an official certificate,
and although there was a disposition on behalf of the importers to consider
them as game, they clearly came within the definition of Foreign Meat of
Class I, and a Notice was served for their exportation, and accordingly they
left Queenborough for Flushing in the next boat.
I have to thank Mr. Flood Page, South Eastern Railway, for the assistance
he has rendered to the officers of the Port Sanitary Authority in connection
with the inspection of foodstuffs at Queenborough.