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Bacteriological examination of food is carried out by the Public Health
Laboratory Service, County Hall, S.E.1., and by the Colindale (Middlesex)
Laboratories. The Public Health Laboratory Service is also available
to doctors for bacteriological examination - throat swabs and intestinal
specimens. The necessary swabs and outfits for the laboratory can be
obtained from the Environmental Health Service, which provides a Monday
to Friday daily service to County Hall, with collection points in various
parts of the Borough.
I am indebted to the Public Analyst, (Mr. T. McLachlan), for the
following Report:-
"ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ANALYST 1969
During the year 1969, 1044 items of food and drugs were examined.
Of these 180 samples were taken formally and 801 informally, the
remaining 63 articles were submitted as the result of complaints.

Two milk bottles were submitted as being dirty in the interior, but
they were in fact quite clean, and the appearance was due to a flaw in
the glass giving the impression of dirt or mould. The bottles should
not have left the glass works in this condition. Several other bottles,
submitted because of complaints, were found to contain dirt or mould
which had not been removed by the bottle-washing process.
Two buttermilk powders each contained 6.6% of moisture, as compared
with a maximum of 5 per cent permitted by the Dried Milk Regulations
1965. Several samples of cream were examined and three double,
creams were found to be deficient in fat, containing respectively 46.7
per cent, 47.5 per cent, and 47.67 per cent. Two samples of butter
submitted as complaints were both rancid, the complaints therefore being
justified. An ice cream was 27 per cent deficient in fat, containing
only 3.65 per cent instead of the minimum 5.0 per cent.
A breakfast cereal stated to be a high protein cereal and recommended
for slimming, contained only 16.2 per cent of protein on the dry flakes.
A high protein bread is required to contain not less than 22 per cent
of protein on the dry bread, and since a high protein cereal is comparable
with high protein bread it should also contain not less than 22
per cent of protein.
Some biscuits described as "Milk cookies with skimmed milk powder"
were found to contain not more than 2 per cent of skimmed milk powder
calculated on the dry product. The Bread and Flour Regulations, 1963,
require milk bread to contain not less than 6 per cent of whole milk
solids calculated on the dry matter and biscuits should comply with this
standard.
B. 29