View report page

As set out in the tables above, there were two outbreaks of food poisoning of
any size in the Borough during the year, as compared with eight listed for 1955,
and 141 cases of food poisoning, as against 294 for the previous year.
In connection with outbreak 1, information was first received from a
practitioner in the Borough regarding two families where there was illness
resembling food poisoning, with abdominal pain and diarrhoea. One member
of the family in one case was employed at a bakery, and brought home
chocolate cakes ; the other family affected had also consumed the same type
of cream pastry. Reports continued to be received over the next few days of
other cases who had contracted symptoms of food poisoning, the common factor
in all these cases being the consumption of cream pastries, comprising chocolate
eclairs, cream sponge and cream buns, baked at the same bakery.
As a result of further investigation, six members of the bakery staff were
found eventually to be affected. Samples of pastries and material used in their
preparation, and also specimens from the persons affected, were forwarded for
bacteriological examination and a food poisoning organism known as Salmonella
Typhi Murium was found in a considerable number of those examined. The
same organism was also found in a chocolate eclair sent for examination, and it
was therefore presumed that this was the one organism responsible for the out'
break. The firm concerned co-operated fully with all measures advised, and the
manufacture of cream pastries was temporarily discontinued. The cream used
was artificial cream, but it was not possible to say precisely how the organism
was introduced. It is conceivable that the organism was present in the imported
egg albumen normally used in the making up of the cream. The egg albumen
concerned in this particular outbreak was imported from Colonial sources which,
in general, have been found reliable, but with a product of this nature it is quite
impossible to say that a particular batch could not have been infected.
Although the patients recovered within a matter of days, some of those
concerned continued to carry the organism for several weeks, including some
members of the bakery staff who, with the full Co-operation of the proprietor,
did not return to their occupation until completely clear.