View report page

Importation of Diseased Livers.—For some time livers have
been arriving in this country marked "Livers, Inedible—Not for
Human Consumption" or "For animal feeding only" and a high
percentage of these have been affected with hydatid cysts (a stage
in the life cycle of a tape worm). Absence of legislation governing
this type of importation has meant that there has been a real danger
of this diseased meat finding its way into channels from whence it
might be used for human consumption.
In order to control just such commodities, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food introduced the Meat (Staining and
Sterilising) Regulations, 1959, which were to become effective on
1st April of the current year but before this date they were withdrawn.
It is to be hoped that these or similar Regulations will
shortly be issued to enable riparian authorities to protect the public
against these suspect importations.
Imported Egg Products.—Greenwich, as a riparian authority,
has been receiving since June, 1956. substantial landings of egg
products imported mainly from China. From the commencement,
sampling revealed the presence of salmonella organisms in a large
proportion of the consignments and on one or two occasions
contamination with paratyphoid bacilli.
In the case of flaked and powdered albumen, the problem has
largely been overcome with the introduction of the heat treatment
chamber but no satisfactory arrangement has yet been arrived at
with other egg products such as frozen whole egg, frozen liquid
albumen, spray dried whole egg and spray dried egg yolk. In this
connection it has been found scientifically unsound to draw any
conclusions on the bacteriological purity or otherwise of consignments
sampled in accordance with present methods which are not
only tedious but often technically difficult and productive of
laboratory results which are most equivocal. A most difficult
situation could arise should an importer demand action in
accordance with Sec. 8(2) of the Public Health (Imported Food)
Regulations, 1937, namely, either release or condemnation of his
consignment within 48 hours-a time limit which proscribes the use
of bacteriological results by the Medical Officer of Health in his
deliberations whether to release or alternatively to condemn a
commodity which would involve the importer in a serious financial
loss.