London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1957
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1957
This page requires JavaScript
61
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of
The Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea,
Your Worship, My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
During the year 1957, 400 samples of food and drugs were examined,
all of which were taken informally.
Adverse comments were made against 28 samples and the incidence of adulteration or incorrect labelling may be classified as follows s-
| Number of samples examined. | Number of samples adulterated. | |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 203 | - |
| Other foods | 188 | 25 |
| Drugs | 9 | 3 |
One portion in a box of assorted cheese spreads was labelled
"Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread with Sherry Wine", but no alcohol
could be detected. The manufacturers stated that in general the
percentage of alcohol in the cheese is very small as it evaporates during
pasteurization. Only one small portion was examined originally and
the manufacturers arranged for two further samples to be sent for
examination, one fresh and one old stock. These samples showed 0.35 per
cent of alcohol in the fresh sample and 0.72 per cent in the old sample.
It was considered the print of the words "with Sherry Wine" on the label
was too large and the manufacturers agreed to amend this when printing
new labels.
A sample of "Smoked" Cream Cheese was stated to contain 30 per cent
"Fett i. T", the "i.T" being the German abbreviation for "calculated on
the dry substance", but in accordance with the Labelling of Food Order the
label must be in English. The cheese was found to contain 31.1 per cent
of fat on the dry substance, but this was equivalent to only 11.5 per cent
on the cheese as received, so that the cheese was really prepared from a
slightly separated milk and not from cream at all. It is suggested that
cream cheese should contain not more than 55 per cent of water and not less
than 30 per cent of milk fat.
Some "Cheese Fondue" was labelled on the front panel as "Gruyere
Cheese Spread processed with White Wine and Kirsch, but the ingredients
on a side panel were disclosed as "Swiss Gruyere Cheese, emulsifying salts
and Spices". The two labels were contradictory, and the main label was
misleading as no alcohol could be detected. The manufacturers stated that
2 per cent of proof spirit should have been detected, and that the statement
on the label was that the cheese is "processed with white wine and Kirsch" so
that it would be misleading to list them as ingredients. Your analyst does
not agree because if Kirsch and White Wine leave a flavour and bouquet, it
is impossible to escape from the fact that they are ingredients.