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
Islington 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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63
Unsound Food
During the year 81 complaints of unsound food were received. The total amount of food condemned was:-
| Description | Tons. | Cwts. | Qtrs. | Lbs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tinned goods | 19 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Meat* | 16 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| Fish | - | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| Others | 4 | 17 | 0 | 26 |
| TOTAL | 40 | 5 | 1 | 27 |
* Includes 15 tons 15 cwts 3 qtrs. 9 lbs. Harrison Barber & Co. Ltd
1,350 condemnation certificates were issued, and 388 inspections were necessary in
connection with this work.
Condemned food received from traders is either taken to the Council's refuse disposal
depot at Ashburton Grove, awaiting conveyance, under supervision, to the refuse tip or is
dyed in order to make it impossible for it to be re-sold or used for human consumption.
Condemned meat is used for animal feeding or industrial purposes.
Sanpling, 1959
548 samples (9 formal and 539 informal) were sent to the Public Analyst for examination.
Forty of these samples, or 7.3%, were adulterated, as shown in the summary below. It should
be noted that a number of adverse reports relate to samples not taken from routine sampling
but which were the subject of complaint.
Formal
Caster oil 1
1
Informal
Apple Flan 1
Bread 8
Bun 1
Butter 2
Castor Oil 1
Cheese Cake 1
Chocolate Nut Crunch 1
Chopped Ham (Canned) 2
Corned Beef 1
Corned Beef Roll 1
Cream Soda 2
Cream Bottle (dirty) 1
Fruit Pie 1
Grape Fruit Squash 1
Ham 1
Ice Cream 1
Kup Cake 1
Margarine 1
Milk (dirty bottle & containing foreign
substance) 2
Mortadella (canned) 2
Pearl Bariey 1
Pork Pie 1
Preserved Beef Sausage Meat 1
Sausages 1
Steak and Kidney Pie 2
Swiss Roll 1
TOTAL 39