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39
Maggots in Chocolate.
Complaint was received from a resident' in the Borough of the presence of maggots in a
small packet of patent medicine prepared with chocolate.
On examination there appeared to be no doubt that larvao inside the "chocolates" were
thoso of one of the species of Ephestia; the regular moths in chocolate. On investigating the
matter with the manufacturers it was found that the commodity is imported from Canada
twico yearly, in tablet form wrapped in. tinfoil as sold, the tablets being also wrapped in
tissue paper and packed in wooden cases. After arrival the tablets are put into tin boxes for
retail sale. The Canadian factory is fumigated monthly, and the English warehouse after
tlio arrival of each supply, with hydrocyanic gas. It was admitted that complaints of
maggots are fairly common in America and that two or three complaints had recently been
received in England. There was some indication that the goods sold by the Holborn retailor
were old stock issued at least three months before sale. The producers intimated that they
had now instituted a date code for use on the boxes.
The principal moth attacking cocoa is Eplicstia elutella; others are Eplicstia luhniella, E.
cautclla and Plodia interpunciella. It has been proved that the roasting of cocoa beans,
subsequent cleaning operations and other processes of manufacture of chocolate render it
sterile as so far as insect eggs are concerned. Manufacturers of these goods are well aware
of the danger to their trade which may be occasioned by these moths and take every
practicable step to eradicate them. In the case of insects so ubiquitous as these it is difficult
for producers to guarantee any product to bo free from accidental infestation unless packed
in hermetically sealed containers, which is not a practical proposition, commercially, in all
cases.
Notification of Food Poisoning.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1032, requires medical
practitioners to notify all cases of food poisoning occurring in their practice. This
early information enables prompt measures to be taken for dealing with any
suspected source of infection. Information of all cases in the County of London
is distributed to medical officers of health by the London County Council.
In the year 1933 five notifications of food poisoning in Holborn were received.
Enquiries were made in each case. In four cases the illness was limited to the
patient notified and was of no serious import. The fifth case attracted much
attention and was fully reported in the lay and medical press. .
On October 9th information was received that, a boy, A. S., aged 11 years,
residing in the Borough, had died in Highgate Hospital from suspected food
poisoning. Subsequently we learnt that another Holborn boy, W. H., was in
University College Hospital dangerously ill with suspected food poisoning. These
hovs were soon found to form two of a series of thirteen cases, eleven in St. Paneras
and two in Holborn. An inquest was held on the two children who died, the one
from Holborn, and one from St.Pancras; it was finally established that a young
girl, 0 years old, living in a ham and beef shop in St. Pancras, who had been
suffering from dysentery contaminated some pease pudding with her fingers; this
pease pudding when consumed by the patients gave rise to baeillary dysentery of
the Sonne type.