View report page

157
shows itself in cases where storage and transport have occurred
in conditions of high temperature and humidity.
Peanuts in shell arrive in this country mainly from Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Libya and India but most eastern Mediterranean countries
are known to trade in this commodity.
On 1st June, 1964, a meeting was held at the Ministry of
Health between Ministry officials and representatives of authorities
in whose areas imports of groundnuts in shell were likely to be
landed. Discussions concerned the possibility of a hazard to humans
and the need for sampling and testing consignments to avoid contaminated
nuts being used for human consumption. At this
meeting, arrangements were made for the sampling of peanuts in
shell and methods, numbers and standards were agreed, as was the
manner of disposal.
Public Analysts were circulated with details of the Tropical
Products Institute's method of physico-chemical analysis, in accordance
with which, toxicity would be measured.
A further meeting was held at the Ministry on 14th October,
1964, to assess results so far obtained and to decide future policy.
Medical Officers of Health of represented authorities were
asked to continue sampling on an agreed basis and make the results
of their sampling available to the Ministry at 6-monthly intervals
or earlier if information was substantial. Meanwhile the Ministry
would seek co-operation of the trade to secure the satisfactory
labelling of consignments.
During the year, 13 samples were taken, one of which was
reported upon as containing aflatoxin to the extent of being classified
as "medium" toxicity. Details of this sample are to be found in
the list of "non-genuine" samples appended at the end of this
section.
Corned Beef.—Typhoid Outbreak at Aberdeen.—On 7th May
of the current year, 2 students purchased corned beef from a
medium-sized supermarket in the main shopping street of
Aberdeen and they were subsequently admitted to hospital on the
12th. Two days later, blood cultures were found to be positive for
Salmonella typhi of phage type 34 indicating that the organism's
origin was either Spain or the American continent but certainly
not Britain. This supported the contention that corned beef was
the vehicle of infection in the early cases.
Instructions were received from the Ministry that, as a precautionary
measure, all 6 lbs. tins of corned beef bearing identification
marks of an Argentine or an Uruguayan Establishment should be
withdrawn because of the unsatisfactory arrangements in their
canning processes.