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Five outbreaks of paratyphoid B occurred during the year—in
Edinburgh, Cambridgeshire, Carshalton, Lewisham and in the East
Riding of Yorkshire. These outbreaks emanated in each case from
bakehouses where Chinese Frozen Whole Egg had been used for
cake and pastry making. Consignments of Chinese Frozen Whole
Egg, along with other imported egg, had shown food poisoning
organisms from time to time by bacteriological examination and
had been detained. However, negative bacteriological results had
been shown to be unreliable when resampling had established that
some of this ostensibly satisfactory egg had, in fact, contained food
poisoning organisms. Chinese Frozen Whole Egg was the only
imported egg to have occasionally grown the paratyphoid organism,
although extensive sampling had been carried out on all imported
egg, from whatever source. Whilst no direct evidence was available
that this egg had caused the outbreaks (the paratyphoid organism
was not found in samples taken from the bakehouses) nevertheless
the circumstantial evidence was very strong, and a cargo already
detained by this authority had contained a batch positive for paratyphi
B. Accordingly, I decided that the only safe method of dealing
with this product was for all of it to be pasteurised and I issued
instructions that all unpasteurised Chinese Frozen Whole Egg in
stock in Bermondsey and arriving in the borough in the future must
be held under detention for pasteurisation, by which it would become
a perfectly safe product. At a meeting of the egg importers at my
office unanimous agreement was reached that
(a) No more unpasteurised Chinese Frozen Whole Egg should
be imported.
(b) That existing stocks should only be released to the public
after pasteurisation.
(c) That there be uniformity of action on these lines throughout
the United Kingdom.
The Ministry of Health were immediately informed and the
Minister of Health in written answer to a parliamentary question
stated that no further unpasteurised Chinese Frozen Whole egg
would be imported and existing stocks pasteurised.
In conclusion I would like to say that no praise is too high for
the members of the egg trade, who showed the fullest co-operation
in this matter.
May I extend my thanks to members of the Council and to
the Public Health Committee for their support and encouragement
during the year, also to all members of the staff for their help and
loyal support.
I am, Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
J. E. EPSOM.