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

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Holborn 1922

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1922

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Unsound Food. The following is a list of unsound food condemned during the year 1922:—

Commodity.Quantity.Condition.Result of Action taken.
Meat:—
Fresh
Cured (Bacon)2 cwts.Contaminated by chemicals in transitSurrendered
Fish:—
Cod5 stoneDecomposedDo.
Plaice½ cwt.DecomposedDo.
Soles8 stoneDecomposedDo.
Whiting8 stoneDecomposedDo.
Roe1 stoneDecomposedDo.
Poultry:—
Ducks21DecomposedDo.
Vegetables:—
Tomatoes9 cwt. (18 bundles)DecomposedDo.
Fruit:—
Oranges84 casesDecomposedDo.

An undue amount of work is thrown on the Health Departments of Loeal
Authorities in connection with the sale of fruit by retail, particularly when such
sale is by street vendors, owing to the wholesalers being allowed to sell packages
containing a considerable proportion of unsound fruit without previous sorting.
At a Conference on the subject convened by the Islington Council, resolutions
were adopted directing the attention of the Minister of Health to the necessity
for the law relating to the sale of unsound food being amended so as to require
the sorting of fresh fruit and vegetables and tinned food by wholesalers.
Enquiries were made as to the possibility of efficiently carrying out such
sorting and conclusive evidence was forthcoming that the present arrangements
of the trade do not allow of this being done. Sorting is therefore left in the hands
of the person to whom the goods are sold. No special place is arranged where
these goods can be sorted under the supervision of a sanitary authority. The
solution which finds most favour with the trader is that attached to every market
there should be a sorting shed, where sorting could be carried out under the
supervision of officers of local authorities. The difficulty of providing such sheds,
however, in existing markets, hinders the ready adoption of the suggestion. There
is no doubt that any new market established, however, should include such
accommodation and every effort should be made to provide the accommodation
in existing markets.
The difficulties with regard to the sorting of tinned food are minimal in
comparison with those conducted with sorting fresh fruit, etc. To a limited
extent the sorting can be and is, carried out at the docks and wharves. If not
sorted here it can and usually is carried out in the inland warehouses of
manufacturers or middlemen.