View report page

IX.—FOOD CONTROL.
The work of food inspection falls naturally into two sections,
that which is done under the Imported Food Regulations by the
Wharves Inspectors, and the work entailed in the administration
of the Public Health (London) Act and the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts.
Ours is a riparian Borough and a large amount of food is
imported through its wharves. In effect, Bermondsey is a port,
and requires the same arrangements for food inspection as any
other port. Two officers are employed for the whole of their
time in connection with the inspection of food at the wharves,
and of wholesale food premises. Their work is onerous, skilled
and responsible. They meet boats, examine cargoes, and are
generally responsible, under the Medical Officer of Health, for
seeing that all food imported is sound and complies strictly with
the conditions laid down by law. They "stop" unsound food
and it is their duty to make certain that such food is destroyed
or otherwise disposed of, so that it cannot be used as human food.
In the ordinary course of their work, the Wharves Inspectors
exercise a general supervision over all imported food. It is
impossible to examine every package and the Inspectors therefore
make a practice of examining a certain percentage of all parcels.
The value of a food cargo sometimes represents a very large sum,
and the problems which arise are many and various.
CASEOUS LYMPHADENITIS IN MUTTON.
Towards the latter part of last year a problem arose in connection
with the importation of mutton from Australia and South
America. Large numbers of carcases showed signs of caseous
lymphadenitis, and it became imperative that the importation of
these carcases should be strictly controlled.
As the result of an arrangement with the Medical Officer of
Health of the Port of London, all such carcases were placed under
"stop" and each carcase was individually examined before
being released. This arrangement, which is still in force at the