London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Port of London 1920

Report for the year ended 31st December 1920 of the Medical Officer of Health for the Port of London

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44
FOOD INSPECTION.
The Regulations issued by the Local Government Board (now the Ministry of
Health) under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, were carried
out in the Port of London, and resulted in 4,102 tons 4 cwts. I qr. 6 lbs. of Unsound
Food being destroyed or disposed of in such a manner as to prevent its being used for
human consumption.
Exceptions are shown in the disposal of some of the goods for the manufacture
of confectionery and distillation. The goods used for the manufacture of confectionery
were condensed milk which had either undergone a yeast fermentation or had been
returned to this country owing to caramelisation and discolouration. The deleterious
qualities were removed in the process of re-manufacture, and thus the use of a
considerable quantity of valuable food material was retained.
The goods for distillation consist usually of dried fruits, e.g., dates, prunes,
raisins and sultanas.

The goods were disposed of as follows, only those which could not be used for some useful purpose being actually destroyed :—

Cattle and Poultry Food1,9905114
Re-manufacture (Confectionery, &c.)4524313
Distillation1364323
Destroyed—
Buried6638122
Burned2481732
Total weight4,102416

The total shows an increase of 44 per cent, compared with the year 1919, and
has been exceeded only on two occasions.
A Review of the Frozen Meat Trade for 1920, published by Messrs.
W. Weddel and Co., Ltd., shows that although during the first six months of the year
the cold stores in this country were glutted with meat, imports into the United Kingdom
ports were 90,000 tons in excess of those of any previous year in the history of the
trade.
Further, that of the world's export output of refrigerated beef, mutton and lamb,
the aggregate shipment from all overseas sources amounted to 1,056,000 tons, of
which 783.000 tons were shipped to the United Kingdom, and of that quantity
34,562 tons were re-exported to the Continent.
Also that the world's total production of frozen and chilled meat during the vear
was 1,056,000 tons, of which 810,000, of 77 per cent., was imported into the United
Kingdom.
In several instances your Inspectors found consignments of frozen meat which
had been imported contrary to the provisions of the Public Health (Foreign Meat)
Regulations, 1908, and Notices, as required by the Regulations, were served upon the
importers forbidding the removal of the meat for any purpose other than exportation.
The following is a list of the consignments in respect of which the Notices were
served upon the importers :—

PUBLIC HEALTH (FOREIGN MEAT) REGULATIONS, 1908.

During the year Notices were served under Articles III. (5), IV. (1) of the above-mentioned Regulations, for the exportation of the following meat : —

Date of Arrival.Nams of Vessel.Wherei from.Where ljing.Description and quantity in respect of which Notices were served.
1920.
Apl. 27s.s. "Duquesa"BuenosAyresRoyal Albert Dock154 bags beef trimmings.
Aug. 13s.s. "Marquesa"Do.Do.4 bags pig-hearts.
„ 22s.s. "Nagara"Do.Do.3 bags pig-hearts.
„ 24s.s. "Highland Glen"Do.Do.2 bags pig-hearts.
Nov. 23s.s. "Montilla"ZarateDo.541 packages sheep-head meat, 522 packages pig-livers, 8 packages pig-hearts.