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50
On the 29th September 51 cases and 12 tins of pilchards, which arrived in
December, 1918, were seized by one of your officers. These were in a very bad
condition, and, as a result of careful sorting under the supervision of your officers,
50 per cent, were rejected and destroyed.
On the 30th September 875 cases of tinned rabbits, from Australia, were seized,
and the sorting resulted in 2,638 tins (=8.3 per cent.) being rejected and destroyed
as unfit for human consumption.
On the 16th October one of your officers detained 194 cases of tinned grapes from
New Zealand, which had been lying in the dock for about ten months. These were
sorted and over 40 per cent, rejected and destroyed as unfit for human consumption.
On the 11th November 249 cases of sardines, which had been rejected in
Australia, arrived in the Royal Albert Dock, and were placed under detention. Apart
from the fact that analysis showed the fish to contain from 2.5 to 4.8 grains of tin
per lb., a very large percentage of the tins were blown, and the contents showed age
and decomposition. The goods were still under detention at the end of the year, as a
question of liability was involved and being dealt with by arbitration.
On the 17th November 10,000 boxes of prunes were seized by one of your officers
and were still under detention at the close of the year.
On the same date 4,126 bags of figs from Greece were seized and disposed of by
shipping them to the Continent.
On the 15th December 370 cases of veal meat arrived from New York. This was
Foreign Meat, Class 1, the importation of which is prohibited. It was removed to the
Port of London Authority's Cold Store at West Smithfield, within the Metropolitan
Borough of Finsbury. A notice was served upon the importers forbidding the removal
of the meat from the cold store for any purpose other than exportation, and the Medical
Officer of Health for Finsbury was notified accordingly.