Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
ICECREAM
Food Standards (Icecream) Regulations, 1959
Labelling of food (Amendment) Regulations, 1959
The composition of 24 icecream samples submitted to the public analyst during the
year showed an average composition of 10.8% fat.
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 judgement 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 per cent, of a vendor's samples should fall into grade 1, 80 per cent into
grades 1 or 2, not more than 20 per cent into grade 3 and none into grade 4.
During the year 15 samples of icecream were submitted for bacteriological examination
with the following results:
......... | — | — | |
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 given.
Other Bacteriological Samples