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34
Two cases of the presence of foreign matter in food were reported
during the year. Legal proceedings were taken in one case of a piece
of cinder in cake, and a fine of £15 was imposed, and £5 5s. Od. costs
awarded to the Council. The other case was dealt with by a cautionary
letter.
An unusual case arose during the year, when a butcher asked my
advice on the condition of a forequarter of beef which had been hung
in his cold room for a week. The forequarter was suspended by the
ordinary type of tinned iron hook from a metal rail. Across the top
of the rail was lying a rubber covered cable leading to an electric
lighting point. On examining the meat, he noticed that it was discoloured
where the hook had passed through it. The protective tinning
on the hook had been completely eaten away, and the iron rusted.
I submitted specimens of the meat and the hook to the Public
Analyst, who reported that the dark stain on the meat was due to
sulphide of iron produced by sulphur compounds in the meat acting
on iron oxide. He suggested that these conditions were probably due to
a leakage of electricity in the refrigerator.
An examination of the cable showed surface cracking, and the
Analyst's conclusion that electrolysis played some part in affecting the
meat was undoubtedly correct.
Food Poisoning.
(Outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium infection.)
During the months of November and December, 12 cases of children
with symptoms resembling a mild form of dysentery were reported to
the Health Department. The ages of the children ranged from 11 months
to 8 years, and for the most part the cases were reported from one
area of the Borough. On investigation it was found that the symptoms
were due to infection by the micro-organism, Salmonella typhimurium.
Examination of contacts revealed 6 carriers of the micro-organism.
Immediate precautions were adopted as soon as the first case was
discovered, but despite extensive investigations no evidence was
detected of bacterial contamination of the food and water supplies. As
a result of treatment, either in hospital or at home, the patients or
their contacts soon became free from infection. In this context excellent
co-operation was secured with the respective family doctors, a feature
which contributed in no small measure to the control of the outbreak.
There were in addition a few isolated cases that call for no special
comment.
(B)—SAMPLING OF FOOD AND DRUGS.
The analysis of samples of food and drugs, procured under the
provisions of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, or informally (i.e., without
following the procedure prescribed by the Act), is carried out by the
Public Analyst for the Borough (J. E. Woodhead, Esq., B.SC., F.R.I.C.,
PH.C.) at his laboratory at 325 Kennington Road, London, S.E.l1.
The Public Analyst had also carried out the examination of
samples of heat-treated milk and of ice cream by the prescribed tests
since the inception of those tests, but as from 21st September, 1953.
this particular work was transferred to the Public Health Laboratory
Service. As the latter Service make no charge for this work, the