London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hammersmith 1971

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]

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During the year 13 samples of toys were purchased and all complied with
the Regulations.
Oil Heaters Regulations, 1966
These Regulations relate to warning notices and the standard performance
of oil heaters and although it is found that new heaters generally are
in good condition, a watch is kept for second-hand heaters which may be
exposed for sale.
During the year one pressure oil heater was purchased and found not to
comply with the Regulations in five respects. Legal proceedings were
instituted against the vendors and the two defendants were fined a total
of £20 and £5 costs were awarded to the Council.
Annual Report of the Public Analyst 1971
During the year 1971, 1304 items of food and drugs were examined. Of
these 52 samples were taken formally, and 1194 informally, while the
remaining 58 articles were submitted as the result of complaints.

The number adulterated or about which adverse comment was made was 181. The incidence of criticisms may be classified as follows:-

Number examined 85Number adulterated
Milk852
Milk bottles99
Other bottles1195167
Drugs153

In, previous reports your analyst has commented on the increase in the
number of complaints made by members of the public to their Local Authorities
about the quality or condition of foods. This increase is now in
full spate-and of fifty eight complaints received fifty five were thought
to be justified. This indicates two regrettable facts about the present
state-of society. Firstly conditions in food factories should be such
that complaints should be unnecessary, and secondly that there is an
increasing belief that the retailer or manufacturer will not be honest
in dealing with a customer's complaint. At one time it was a maxim that
the customer was alreays right, even though it was known that this was
not necessarily so, but unfortunately this attidude has changed and one
can only hope that the present trend will be reversed in the near future.
Adverse comments were made as follows:-
Animal contamination included mouse droppings on a ready cooked meal of
chow Mein, the head and thorax of a house fly embeded in a loaf nothing
being known .about the remainder of the fly, and a suspected fly in a can
of peaches. which was, in fact, a bee that had probably gained access to
the fruit before canning.
A complaint was also received about insects found in a packet of breakfast
cereal. The code mark on the packet indicated that it had been
packed in June 1967 and there were several hundred larvae present together
with mature and dead weevils. The product was unfit for consumption. The
foreign matter in a can of plums was a portion of a rubber fingerstall.
Two loaves were mouldy on receipt. One was heavily infected with Monilia
sitophila, a fungus notorious for the rapidity with which it grows on
bread under suitable conditions. The other was badly contaminated with a
B.31