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IMPORTED CHEESE
Following outbreaks of food poisoning at two hospitals in
outer London, cheese eaten became suspect. This cheese was
found to be New Zealand 2nd Grade and was marked " For Manufacturing
Purposes Only." It was never intended to be sold
directly for consumption but was to go for processing involving
heat treatment and dilution. It had never previously caused
trouble as far as is known.
A City firm who sold the cheese to the hospitals concerned was
prosecuted by the City Corporation and duly fined.
The cause of the food poisoning was due to staphylococcal
(enterotoxin) contamination of the cheese, as found by bacteriological
examination of the remaining bulk from the hospital store.
Bacteriological examination of all 2nd grade cheese in the
wharves was undertaken and showed that high staphylococcal
counts were present in many samples examined.
A certain quantity of this cheese was declared unfit for human
consumption; the remainder was released subject to being used at
only 5% in dilution with other cheeses at the processing factory
following heat treatment in the normal way.
A fuller account will be given in the next annual report, by which
time all the bacteriological results will be available as also the
effects of the measures suggested to the producers to avoid this
contamination.