London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finsbury 1960

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finsbury Borough]

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ICE CREAM:
There have been only 3 premises in the Borough where ice-cream
has been manufactured in the last five years, One of these was given
up for production in 1956. Of the remaining 2, one is used only for
freezing following delivery in bulk of the material after pasteurization
in another area.
Reference has already been made elsewhere to an increase in the
number of premises from which ice-cream is now sold.
In addition a number of itinerant vendors ply their trade in the
Borough.
The standard of ice-cream has generally been satisfactory and
samples have been taken regularly both for chemical and bacteriological
examination until 1960, when, owing to shortage of staff, no samples
were taken.
Number of Premises registered for manufacture: 22
storage & sale: 148
MEAT:
storage only: 2
In the vicinity of the Smithfield Meat Market there are a considerable
number of wholesale butchers and offal shops, bacon and
provision warehouses, wholesale game, poultry and rabbit shops and
Public Cold Air Stores.
During the past few years there has been an increase in the number
of wholesale shops in this area, some of these being completely new
buildings.
Most of these wholesale butchers shops trade in meat of a very
low quality i.e. old bulls, cow, sow and mutton carcasses which are
chiefly used in the sausage and manufacturing trade. It is due to the
high percentage of disease and other conditions of these carcasses
that a rigid inspection is maintained, to make sure that meat unfit
for human consumption is not passed on to the public.
Possibly due to the strict examination for Caseous Lymphadenitis
in recent years and to the fact that thousands of carcasses were
condemned for this disease, the incidence of this disease in imported
carcasses of mutton and lamb is steadily decreasing. Consignments of
Scandinavian and European offals and tinned hams continue to be
imported in increasing numbers and condemnations have taken place on
several occasions. The collection of unsound meat and other foodstuffs
continues to be collected very satisfactorily by Messrs Henson and
Burbidge Ltd., Matusa Works, Beckton who render down this meat etc,
for technical tallow and fertilizers.
63