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 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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The following table is a statistical record of the major portion of the duties performed and inspections undertaken during the year by the Food Inspectors.
| Premises Inspected or Visits Made | No. of Visits | No. of Premises at which Improvements were effected |
|---|---|---|
| Caterers', Restaurants, etc. | 175 | 21 |
| Grocers, Greengrocers | 356 | 16 |
| Butchers' Shops | 163 | 19 |
| Dairies and Milk Distributors | 84 | - |
| Wharves and Factories | 600 | - |
| Bakehouses and Bakers' Shops | 28 | 9 |
| Ice-Cream Premises, Confectioners, etc | 180 | 6 |
| Fried Fish Shops | 27 | 2 |
| Other Fish Shops | 26 | 5 |
| Cooked Meat & Preserved Foods | 130 | * |
| Visits Re. Shops Act | 443 | — |
| „ „ Infestations | 14 | — |
| „ „ Food and Drugs Act | 270 | — |
| „ „ Merchandise Marks Act & Markets | 106 | - |
| „ „ Food Poisoning | 10 | — |
| Sampling Visits | 188 | — |
| Fair Visits | 8 | — |
| School Visits | 16 | — |
| Miscellaneous Visits (including Flour Mills-Cyanide Fumigation) | 351 | - |
| Interviews | 23 | — |
| Complaints Investigated | 37 | — |
| Totals | 3,235 | 78 |
* Included under Grocers' and Butchers' Shops.
Bakehouses.—At the end of the year, 6 premises in the
Borough were being used as bakehouses, none of which was
underground.
Bakehouses and bakers' shops were visited on 28 occasions
and, as a result of the inspections, 9 sanitary defects were remedied.
Catering Establishments.—Public demand for communal
catering continues and as a result of this practice of "eating out"
the inspection and supervision of cafes, restaurants, works' canteens
etc., remains one of the most important duties of the Food
Inspectors. Disregard of normal hygiene in the handling and
preparation of food at such establishments can lead to an outbreak
of food poisoning on a large scale and it is a tribute to the
Inspectors' vigilance that no such outbreaks have occurred.
As a result of 175 visits of inspection to the catering establishments,
insanitary conditions were remedied and improvements,
mainly redecoration and cleansing of kitchens, were effected on
21 occasions.