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
City of Westminster 1921
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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| Article. | Number of samples examined for preservative. | Number containing preservative and Percentage of preservative found in each sample. |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 987 | No preservative found. |
| Cream | 46 | 5 contained preservative:— (2 — 18-71 and 12-76 grains of boric acid per lb. respectively. Vendors prosecuted and fined). (3 — 18 0; 14-12 and 6-19 grains of boric acid per lb. respectively. Explanatory letter received and cautionary letter sent to each vendor). |
| Number examined. | Without preservative. | Preservative under amount stated on label. (0.4 per cent.) | Preservative over amount stated on label. | Milk fat in preserved cream. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Above 35 per cent. | Below 35 per cent. | ||||
| 40 | 1 | 39* | Nil. | 40 | Nil. |
* Samples contained respectively 29.0, 27.2, 26, 25.4, 25, 25, 24.1, 23.8, 21.7,
20.4, 19.6, 19.6, 19.6, 18.9, 18.2, 17.9, 17.5,
17.4, 17.3, 17.3, 16.6, 16.4, 16.2, 14.9, 14.7,
14.7,14.7, 14.5, 14.3, 14, 14, 13.3, 12.6, 12.6,
11.2, 11.9, 10.5, 4.7 and a trace.
Action Taken—Nil.
Infringements under Article 5 (1)—Nil.
Infringements under Article 5 (2)—Two cases—Receptacles not labelled; both prosecuted
and fined £2 and 10s. respectively with costs.
Thickening substances—None found.
Nineteen prosecutions were taken with regard to adulteration:-9 for
fat abstracted, 9 for added water, and 1 for both fat abstracted and
water added. Eleven sellers of milk where the quality was slightly below
the standard were cautioned. Warranties were set up as a defence in
14 instances and were successful. A conference of representatives of
metropolitan local authorities agreed that the provisions of the Sale of
Food and Drugs Acts with regard to warranty defences in the case of
milk operate to the prejudice of the purchaser and the public health,
and that they should be repealed. Further, a cowkeeper whose milk
is below the standard but proves that it is as given by the cow should
not be allowed to sell such milk, as it means that either the cow is inferior
or being improperly fed.