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 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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| Article | How Obtained | Examination | Action Taken | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bact. or Chem. | Result | |||
| Pasteurised Milk | Complaint from member of public that milk contained foreign body. | Chem. | Consisted of a full one-pint milk bottle containing, adhering to the glass on the inside, the pupa of a small fly. | Company informed and the explanation in regard to the precautions taken to obviate such complaints was accepted. Complainant notified. The fly referred to, constitutes a particular hazard to the dairy trade at a certain time of the year. |
| Sterilised Milk | Complaint from member of public that milk contained foreign matter. | Chem. | Consisted of a full one pint bottle of sterilised milk containing, partly adhering to the glass and partly floating in the milk, a quantity of dirty black sediment consisting of general dust and including the remains of mites and various micro-organisms. | The bottle of milk together with a copy of Public Analyst's report sent to local authority in whose area milk was bottled. Complainant notified. |
| Potato Chips | Complaint from member of public that potato chips contained a small piece of tile. | Chem. | Consisted of fried potato chips and included a piece of broken tile. No evidence was found to indicate the stage at which the foreign matter found its way into the potato chips. | Subsequent inspection of newlyerected fish and chip establishment failed to provide evidence that the piece of tile originated from the premises in which there are no tiles resembling the subject of the complaint. Complainant informed. No further action. |
In addition to the foregoing, there were 52 other food complaints
from members of the public. One complaint of a piece of wire in a loaf
of bread was the subject of legal proceedings and the defendants were
fined £10 with 3 guineas costs. The remainder were fully investigated by
the Food Inspectors and, where justified, appropriate action was taken.