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
Hammersmith 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
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Some of the milk is distributed in churns after pasteurising, about 12,000 gallons is
sterilised in bottles, and the remainder is bottled or filled into cartons after pasteurisation. At
one of these depots extensive cartoning of milk is now carried out and a variety of types of carton
are filled for supply by retail sale, especially in milk vending machines.
At regular intervals the Food & Drugs Inspector checks the efficiency and working temperature
of the processing plants and takes samples to ensure that they comply with the requirements
of the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960-63.
All samples taken from these milk plants were reported to be satisfactory. 245 inspections
were made in connection with the processing of milk and the premises found to be generally
satisfactory.
256 persons were on the register of milk distributors at the end of the year.
The following number of licences under the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960-1965, were in existence at the end of the year:-
| Pasteurised | 186 | |||
| Sterilised | 178 | |||
| Untreated | 60 | |||
Under the Regulations 62 samples of designated milk were taken from milk processing plants, from distributors and from automatic vending machines. These samples were submitted for Phosphatase, Methylene Blue, and Turbidity tests, the results which are set out below:
| Class of Milk | No. Tested | Phosphatase Tests | Methylene Blue Tests | Turbidity Tests | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passed | Failed | Passed | Failed | Passed | Failed | ||||
| Pasteurised | 56 | 55 | 1 | 50 | 2 | - | - | ||
| Untreated | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | ||
| Sterilised | 4 | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | ||
The 2 samples of pasteurised milk which failed to pass the Methylene Blue test were
from vending machines and each case was a first offence. Statutory notices were served in
accordance with the provisions of Section 43/44, Food & Drugs Act, 1955, and as a result the
companies concerned overhauled their management and further samples were found to be satisfactory.
No samples were submitted for Brucella Abortus check.
Markets
There are seven market sites in the Borough, three of which are street sites where
traders operate from approved pitches. The site in North End Road is the largest of these and
because of the intensity of traffic along the road the problems connected with the carrying on of
trading are more than one would normally meet in such circumstances. The adequate collection
of waste, the maintenance of personal cleanliness, the maintenance of clean and tidy conditions
around the stalls, the restocking of stalls during trading, are all problems which tend to make
trading conditions of a lower standard than one would hope to achieve. Towards the end of the
year, in the light of pending new legislation, the whole question of street trading was again
being considered with the other interested departments of the Council.
Frequent inspections of the food stalls were made in all these markets and particular
attention given to storage accommodation.
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