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22
Released for manufacturing purposes—-28 tons 17 cwts. 1 qtr.
19 lbs.
comprising mainly—
20 tons jam.
6 tons dried fruit.
1 ton meat.
1 ton tinned fruit.
Inspected at shops, etc. 4 cwts. 1 qtr. 6 lbs.
,, ,, wharves and warehouses
28 tons 13 cwts. 13 lbs.
Food salvaged—9 tons 17 cwts.
comprising mainly—
7 tons meat.
2 tons tinned milk.
Inspected at shops, etc.
,, ,, wharves and warehouses
1 qtr. 25 lbs.
2 cwts. 2 qtrs. 20 lbs.
9 tons 14 cwts. 3 qtrs. 5 lbs.
IMPORTED PEARS
During the year large quantities of fruit were imported from
the continent and distributed from the Grand Vitesse Station,
Great Suffolk Street. ,
On the afternoon of Friday, 29th July, the Chief Sanitary
Inspector inspected a consignment of pears which had been
imported from Italy. He noticed in some cases that they had a
"blue-grey appearance." Samples were taken from these
trucks and submitted to the Public Analyst who reported that
they had been contaminated by spraying in the fruit stage with
an insecticide containing arsenic in such amounts as to constitute
a possible danger to health, the quantity found on some
specimens being in excess of 1/100th of a grain of arsenic per
lb. of fruit. This contamination may be recognised on many
specimens of fruit as a blue-grey or white deposit.
After investigation, it was found that it could be removed
sufficiently by washing, and if that was found impracticable,
merely polishing the fruit by means of a dry cloth would remove
most of the deposit of insecticide and render it fit for human
consumption.
A meeting of all interested parties, including representatives
of the Ministry of Food, was arranged, and it was decided that if
the owners gave a written guarantee for the pears in question to
be dealt with under the supervision of the Public Health
Departments in the districts to which they were consigned, the
fruit would be released, otherwise it would be seized. This
undertaking was agreed to by the owners.