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
Kensington 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
- 19 -
Heat Treated Milk (Prescribed Teats) Order. 1944.
Under Defence Regulation 55G (restriction on the sale
of raw milk), the Minister of Pood may specify areas in which it
will he illegal to sell milk unless it is tuberculin tested milk,
accredited milk, or processed milk (heat-treated milk, pasteurised
milk and sterilised milk). When an area has been so specified,
all processed milk sold therein must conform to the prescribed
phosphatase and methylene blue tests. No aræ , in London has yet
been prescribed by the Minister and the new requirements are not
at present in operation in this borough.
The Minister of Pood has, however, requested the
Council to apply the phosphatase test and the methylene blue test
to all samples of pasteurised and tuberculin-tested pasteurised
Milks and report the results to him. During the year, 55 samples
of pasteurised milk, 13 samples of tuberculin-tested pasteurised
milk, 5 samples of sterilised milk and one sample of heat-treated
milk were subjected to these tests. Seven samples failed to
satisfy the methylene blue test and one sample failed to pass
the phosphatase test. Letters were sent to the vendors and the
Minister of Pood was notified.
Adulteration of Food.
Three hundred and ninety-six formal samples of food
are taken, of which twenty, or 5.05%, were adulterated. Six
hundred and four informal samples were taken of which seven,
or 1.1%, were adulterated.
The following is a summary of the results of analyses of the twenty-seven adulterated formal and informal samples, together with a record of the action taken by the Council.
| Article. | Nature and amount of adulteration. | Action taken. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lung and Throat Mixture. | 69% deficient in Acetic Acid. | Informal sample. |
| 2. do. | do. | Proceedings instituted but withdrawn. |
| 3. Lemon flavoured beverage powder. | Contained citric acid 65.8%, Epsom Salt 23%, Common Salt 10.2%. | Informa1 sample. |
| 4. do. | do. | Letter to Ministry of Food as powder was produced under licence. |
| 5. Self raising flour. | Devoid of raising ingredients. | Informal sample. |
| 6. Malt vinegar. | Consisted of distilled malt vinegar. | do. |
| 7. Salad vinegar. | Consisted of an acetous fluid other than malt vinegar. | do. |
| 3. Horse radish sauce. | Consisted of pickled shredded beetroot. | do. |
| 9. do. | do. | Proceedings. £20 penalty and £3 3s. costs. |