London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Greenwich 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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106
Other Food Examinations.—In addition to those obtained
under the Food and Drugs Act, other articles not procured in the
normal course of sampling were examined either by the Public
Analyst or at the Public Health Service Laboratory. These
examinations were the outcome of complaints from members of the
public or as a result of special investigations into certain foods
carried out by the Food Inspectors or as the "follow-up" to
reported food poisoning cases.
Information concerning the analyses of these samples is given in the following table:-
| Article | How Obtained | Examination | Action Taken | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bact. or Chem. | Result | |||
| Corned Beef (canned) | Taken from Cold Store in Borough. | Bact. | After incubation of cans and contents at 37°C for 4 days all cultures remained sterile. | Importer notified. |
| Chinese Butter | Taken from Cold Store in Borough. | Bact. | Organisms of the Salmonella group not isolated. | Importer notified. |
| Portion of Sliced Loaf | Complaint by member of the public that fragments of a razor blade were embedded in bread. | Chem. | Fragments of a razor blade were found in the wrapped, cut loaf of bread. | Legal proceedings taken against the Bakers concerned. Fined £10 and ordered to pay £5 5s. 0d. costs. |
| Pineapple Chunks (canned) | Taken from Cold Store in Borough. | Chem. | Contents found in reasonably sound condition with no evidence of fermentation. | Importer notified. |
| Portion of Unwrapped White Loaf | Complaint by member of the public of strange taste and foreign body found in the bread. | Chem. | A piece of torn cotton material measuring 3½" x 1½" and also various other fragments of cotton found in the bread. | Warning letter sent to Baker concerned. |
| Boiled Egg with pink colouration of white | Complaint from a local hospital. | Chem. | The analysis indicated that the dye was not one of the permitted colouring matters specified in the Colouring Matters in Food Regulations, 1957, but a synthetic dye of the oil-soluble azo class. | No action possible. |