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69
Preserved Meat, etc., Premises.—At the end of the year
108 premises were on the register and were visited on 63 occasions.
As a result of such inspections insanitary conditions were detected
and remedied in 17 cases.
Sampling of Foods.—During the year, 442 samples of various
foods and drugs were submitted to the Public Analyst for analysis,
of these 81 were formal and 361 informal. The number of samples
reported as adulterated or not otherwise up to standard was 24
(15 informal and 9 formal), equivalent to 5.4% of the total samples
examined.
Milk was the chief article sampled. Two out of a total of 56
were found to be adulterated, or below the standard fixed by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Police Court proceedings were only considered necessary in two
instances. The first referred to a Milk Vendor who was summoned
for selling milk which contained not less than 7% added water.
The case was dismissed under the Probation of Offenders Act. The
other case concerned a sample of Home-brewed Vinegar sold as
Malt Vinegar. The Vendor pleaded a warranty defence, and proceedings
were therefore instituted against the Wholesalers who were
fined £3 and £9 9s. 0d. costs.
Public Health (Dried Milk) Regulations, 1923 and 1927.—
One sample was taken during the year which was found to comply
with the above regulations.
Public Health (Condensed Milk) Regulations, 1923-1927.
—One sample was taken and reported upon as genuine.
NOTIFICATION OF FOOD POISONING.
Under the provisions of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1932, now re-enacted in the Public Health (London)
Act, 1936, every registered medical practitioner attending on any
person shall, if he suspects or becomes aware that any person is
suffering from food poisoning forthwith notify such case to the
Medical Officer of Health.
There were 5 cases notified during the year as compared
with 4 for the previous year.
Each case was investigated with a view to ascertaining the
source of infection, but there was no instance where the food
suspected could be regarded as a definite cause of specific food
poisoning and recovery followed rapidly.