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 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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65
Inspection of Food.—The food exposed for sale in shops and on stalls
in the street markets has been regularly inspected every day (including
Sundays). The following list shows the quantity of food condemned
and destroyed during the year. The bulk of it was submitted by the
owners or purchasers for the opinion of your officers:—
| Tons | Cwts. | Lbs. | Tons. | Cwts. | Lbs. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | 14 | 5 | 19 | Onions | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Apricots | 0 | 10 | 0 | Oranges | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Bananas | 12 | 19 | 0 | Passion Fruit | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Beans | 0 | 16 | 68 | Peaches | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Cabbage | 0 | 2 | 0 | Pears | 13 | 3 | 20 |
| Carrots | 0 | 16 | 4 | Peas | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Cherries | 0 | 0 | 96 | do. (Tinned) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chestnuts | 0 | 1 | 6 | Pineapples | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| Cranberries | 0 | 3 | 64 | Plums | 0 | 8 | 78 |
| Currants (Red) | 0 | 3 | 64 | Potatoes | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| do. (Black) | 0 | 6 | 78 | Rhubarb | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Grapes | 0 | 1 | 50 | Tomatoes | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Greengages | 0 | 3 | 0 | Turnips | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| Damsons | 0 | 0 | 49 | Turnip Tops | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fruit (Dried) | 0 | 4 | 0 | Walnuts | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| do. (Tinned) | 0 | 1 | 32 | Fish (various) | 0 | 4 | 19 |
| Horseradish | 0 | 4 | 0 | Mutton (Tinned) | 0 | 2 | 88 |
| Lemons | 1 | 3 | 0 | Turkeys | 0 | 1 | 58 |
| Melons | 21 | 13 | 0 | Pork Pies | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nectarines | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Condensed Milk, 96 tins; Pears (Tinned), 16 tins.
Articles of Food Seized and Condemned.
Pears, 12 lbs. Vendor cautioned.
Pork pies Fined £5.
Shrimps (4 packets) „ £5.
Certificates to enable articles of food to be exported to the United
States and Canada were granted in 25 instances.
Unsound Food.—At a conference of representatives of a number of
metropolitan borough councils held at Islington, a resolution was passed
calling the attention of the Minister of Health to the necessity of the law
relating to the sale of unsound food being amended so that food should be
examined in bulk before being sold by auction or sample to retailers.
The City Council was asked to support this proposal, but being of opinion
that it is not practicable declined to do so.
If such an amendment of the law were effected it would necessitate
the provision of larger warehouses, the employment of a larger staff,
skilled and unskilled, and it would lead to considerable delay before fruit