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92
Ten samples of condensed milk taken in the normal course of
sampling were declared genuine but 2 samples contravened the above
Regulations in that the size of type used for the prescribed declaration
of equivalent pints of milk was smaller than required. In one
case a warning letter was sent to the manufacturer but in the other
the milk had been purchased in bulk under licence by the now disbanded
Condensed Milk Pool of the Ministry of Food. No further
action was taken.
NOTIFICATION OF FOOD POISONING
Under the provisions of Section 17 of the Food and Drugs Act,
1938, 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 12 notifications received during the year compared
with 9 in 1953, 10 in 1952, 4 in 1951 and 12 in 1950.
In one instance only was the specific agent identified and this
case concerned an elderly lady of 72 years already a patient in a local
hospital. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated but despite rectal
swabbing of patients in the same ward and investigation of her home
contacts no further cases were discovered. In this particular
instance there had been a history of diarrhoea prior to her admission
into hospital.
In the remaining sporadic cases the suspected food was unobtainable
and the cause was unascertainable.
A complete recovery was made by all patients.