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

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Greenwich 1953

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

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83
Butchers' Shops and Stalls.—These are under the constant
supervision of the Food Inspectors who made 308 visits of inspection
and arranged for the correction of insanitary defects at 18 premises.
As with other premises, legal proceedings are instituted only
after disregard of the Officer's warning and in no instance was it
necessary to resort to this procedure.
Slaughterhouses.—Two premises in the Borough originally
licensed as slaughterhouses have not been used as such since the
introduction of the Livestock (Restriction of Slaughtering) Order
1940. In both instances the premises are no longer to be used
as slaughterhouses and the issue of the appropriate licences has
therefore been discontinued.
Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations, 1937 and
1948.—The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with a river frontage
of five miles with more than 30 wharves and two of London's largest
and most modern cold stores receives a considerable percentage of
London's imported meat stored on behalf of the Ministry of Food.
In addition, considerable quantities of fresh fruit, tinned foods and
miscellaneous provisions are dealt with. Visits to wharves and
cold stores are made by the Food Inspectors and imported food
generally is carefully supervised.
Inevitably meat is the commodity to which Food Inspectors
must devote most of their time and it is their responsibility to see
that each consignment landed is accompanied by an " official "
certificate. This may be in the form of a certificate, label, mark,
stamp or voucher which is recognised by the Ministry of Food, as a
guarantee that the accompanying product was inspected ante and
post mortem and passed as fit in accordance with criteria satisfactory
to the Minister and that any necessary packing or preparation had
been executed under hygienic conditions.
A number of circulars were received from the Ministry during
the year illustrating official certificates approved for the Falkland
Islands, Sudan, Eritrea, Greece and Bechuanaland.
Imported Food Rejected.—The following unsound, or
diseased imported foods were surrendered, the meat being passed for
non-edible and refining purposes, and other unsound food, with the
exception of fruit pulp and juice, being processed for stock feeding.
The following foods were rejected at the wharves :—