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 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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Night inspections were carried out by certain Inspectors concerned with the
supervision of refreshment houses, the transit of meat, night clubs and the delivery
of milk to retailers.
Complaints of alleged unfitness were received in respect of the following:-
| Cloth in corned beef | Lead in Angelica |
| Contaminated sweets | Maggots in raisins |
| Deposit in bottle of milk | Mould in loaves of bread |
| Discolouration in pork pie | Mould in chicken and veal pie |
| Extraneous matter in sultanas | Mould in steak and kidney pie |
| Foreign body in loaves of bread | Mould in steak pie |
| Foreign matter in bottles of milk | Nail in cake |
| Foreign substance in Eccles Cake | Nail in chocolate truffle |
| Foreign substance in Pork Pie | Rubber glove in tin of pineapple |
| Foreign substance in tin of blackberries | Steel screw in cake |
| Glass in bottles of milk | Unsound tin of strawberries |
| Glass in bottle of Yoghourt | Water in tin of condensed milk |
| Glass in cheese sandwich | Wire in loaf of bread |
| Wood fragment in fruit bun. |
At one address in the Borough a quantity of bread pudding was found to be in a
mouldy condition, seized by the Inspector and an order obtained from the Magistrate
for it to be destroyed as unfit for human consumption.
Details of the prosecution in respect of the above complaints and action of the
Bispectors appears on Pages 67-58,
In the main, the standard of hygiene in food undertakings is at a reasonably good
level but there is a hardcore which remains where conditions are such that constant
supervision is necessary. Inspectors endeavour to demonstrate on the premises how it
is possible with the minimum of equipment and cost to secure hygienic and clean
conditions. Much of the Inspectors' time is taken up in seeking to educate those
engaged in the handling of food but towards the end of the year, difficulty was
experienced in maintaining compliance with the Pood Hygiene Regulations due to the
severe wintry weather that set in. Those responsible for retail food shops, cafes and
restaurants were unable to keep their premises up to normal standard due to the fact
that customers came in with dirt, ice and snow on their boots. In many cases the
water supply was cut off or the service frozen and certain areas were affected by
power cuts and decreased gas supplies.
A number of unsatisfactory conditions were reported and legal proceedings
instituted in one case under the Pood Hygiene Regulations as reported on Page 67,
In one case, the registration of premises used for the manufacture of sausages
was cancelled.
The Inspectors' work has been increased due to the number of immigrants coming
into the Borough, who open up or take over food premises. Some apply to open
licensed clubs Many are not conversant with the English language and difficulty
is experienced in getting over what is necessary to comply with the requirements of
the legislation.