London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Lewisham 1961

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]

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50
ICECREAM
Food Standards (Icecream) Regulations 1959,
Labelling of Food (Amendment) Regulations 1959
The composition and labelling of icecream was altered from April
1959, new regulations under the above headings coming into operation
then. The 45 samples submitted to the public analyst were found to
have the composition shown in the appended table :—

Table 34

PeriodSamplesAverage percentage composition
FatMilk solids-not fatWater
First quarter1010-210-879 0
Second quarter119 410979-7
Third quarter189-59-680-9
Fourth quarter69-210 380S
TOTALS459 610-4800

Grading
Icecream is submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for bacteriological
examination. The icecream is graded according to the time taken
to decolorise a dye, methylene blue. The test is a provisional one and
because of the many factors which govern the hygienic quality of icecream
it is recommended officially that judgment should be based on a
series of samples and that too much attention should not be paid to the
result of an individual sample. It is suggested that over a six-monthly
period, at least 50 percent of a vendor's samples should fall into grade 1,
80 percent into grades 1 or 2, not more than 20 percent into grade 3 and
none into grade 4.
During the year 99 samples of icecream were submitted for
bacteriological examination with the following results :—

Table 35

GradingSamples submitted%
Grade 17172
Grade II ......11II
Grade III ......99
Grade IV ......88
TOTAL99100

In general, grades I and II are satisfactory, while grades III and IV
may indicate some defect in manufacture, handling or storage. Such
cases are followed up and advice is given.