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 1968
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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SUPERVISION OF FOOD
FOOD HYGIENE (GENERAL) REGULATIONS 1960/1962
The year has seen the continuation of systematic inspections under these regulations,
and it is considered that real progress has been made. Almost all the premises inspected have
required some work to bring them up to the necessary standard but only in a few cases has
prosecution been necessary.
Certain food undertakings such as cafes and clubs which are open after 11 p.m. will be
under much more effective control after 1st April 1969 when the legislation affecting night
cafes comes into force.
POOD FACTORIES
A total of 134 visits was paid to the food factories in the Borough by the inspectors
concerned. Action was taken where necessary to enforce compliance with the Food Hygiene
(General) Regulations, 1960 and other relevant legislation.
STREET MARKETS
The initial inspection of market stalls under the Pood Hygiene (Market Stalls and
Delivery Vehicles) Regulations 1966 is now almost completed. Many stalls have been made to
comply with these regulations; summonses have been served in four cases for failure to comply
with the requirements. Five summonses were heard against the owner of a meat delivery vehicle,
details of which appear under "Legal Proceedings" on page 66
Exemptions granted 24
Exemptions refused 1
FOOD COMPLAINTS
The number of food complaints received during the year was 82 showing a decrease of 7%
over the previous year. These complaints were dominated by those foods found to contain
foreign matter of various natures.
The complaints of alleged unfitness were received in respect of the following:-
| Bread, cakes & biscuits | Milk & milk bottles | ||
| Foreign matter in bread | 10 | Dirty milk bottles | 4 |
| Mouldy bread | 4 | Foreign matter in milk | 2 |
| Foreign matter in cakes | 4 | T | |
| Mouldy cakes | |||
| Foreign matter in biscuits | 1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Insects in bread | 1 | ||
| Foreign matter in flour | 1 | Bad taste and smell of food and drink | 6 |
| 24 | Foreign matter in sugar, fish finger, apple juice and milk powder | 4 | |
| Meat and meat products | Unsound chicken | 2 | |
| Foreign matter in sausages | 5 | Sour drink concentrate | 1 |
| Mouldy meat pies | 4 | Disinfectant in mineral water | 1 |
| Bad taste of meat | 2 | Coloured stain in butter | 1 |
| Salt bag in collar of bacon | 1 | Wasp in marmalade | 1 |
| Decomposing bacon | 1 | Maggots in walnuts | 1 |
| Dirt on meat | 1 | Unsound bottle of wine | 1 |
| Foreign matter in meat pie | 1 | Mouse in cornflakes | 1 |
| Lead content of printing on sausage meat casing | 1 | Badly peeled chips | 1 |
| Insects in water cress | 1 | ||
| 16 |