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
Lewisham 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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46
FOOD GENERALLY
Adulteration of food
The number of samples taken during the year under the Food and
Drugs Act was 572; of these, 40 were formal and 532 informal. After
examination the public analyst reported that 4 of the formal samples
and 10 of the informal samples were adulterated or below standard;
the percentage of adulteration amounted to 10.0 in the formal samples,
1.9 in the informal samples, and to 2.4 of all the samples submitted,
compared with 3.4 in the previous year.
Samples Table 37
| Articles | Examined | Adulterated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Informal | Total | Formal | Informal | Total | |
| Baking powder, cereals and flour | 6 | 25 | 31 | 2 | - | 2 |
| Biscuits | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Bread and butter | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| Butter | 3 | 6 | 9 | — | — | — |
| Cheese | — | 8 | 8 | — | — | — |
| Coffee, cocoa, chocolate | — | 21 | 21 | — | — | — |
| Confectionery, sugar | — | 27 | 27 | — | — | — |
| Cream | — | 7 | 7 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Drinks, soft | 2 | 14 | 16 | — | — | — |
| Dripping, lard and suet | 2 | 9 | 11 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Drugs | 1 | 67 | 68 | — | — | — |
| Fish | — | 17 | 17 | — | — | — |
| Fish cakes, etc | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Flavourers and condiments | — | 107 | 107 | — | 3 | 3 |
| Fruit, dried and canned | 1 | 23 | 24 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Icecream | 2 | 42 | 44 | — | — | — |
| Jellies and custards | 1 | 8 | 9 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jams, marmalades and preserves | - | 11 | 11 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Margarine | — | 4 | 4 | - | — | — |
| Meat products | 4 | 5 | 9 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Milk | 43 | 46 | - | — | — | |
| Milk, Channel Islands | — | 2 | 2 | - | — | — |
| Milk, condensed | — | 9 | 9 | - | — | — |
| Milk, hot | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Paste, fish and meat | — | 16 | 16 | - | — | — |
| Pie filling, pudding mixtures etc. | 1 | 11 | 12 | - | - | - |
| Pies, meat | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | — | — |
| Sausages | 3 | 20 | 23 | - | 2 | 2 |
| Soups | — | 12 | 12 | - | — | — |
| Vegetables | 1 | 7 | 8 | - | — | — |
| Spirits | — | 8 | 8 | - | — | — |
| Sugar | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | 40 | 532 | 572 | 4 | 10 | 14 |