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Examination of foodstuffs.
A fire occurred in April at Floral Hall, Covent Garden, which resulted
in 75 tons of fruit being totally destroyed. Fortunately it was possible
to salvage 148 tons, and local authorities to whose area the salvaged
fruit was consigned were informed and it was disposed of under
supervision.
Method of disposal of condemned food.
Food condemned or voluntarily surrendered to the Public Health
Inspectors is disposed of by depositing in the Council's refuse barges at
the Central Depot at Gatliff Road, S.W.1.
Foodstuffs disposed of at this depot are removed by barge for land
reclamation by controlled tipping at Pitsea. No recovery or diversion of
any goods whatsoever takes place at the central tipping site.
Frozen bull sausage meal.
Consignments of the above commodity were imported into this
country by a firm having its head offices in Westminster.
It came to the knowledge of the department that samples from one
of these consignments had been examined by the Port Health Authority
at the port of entry, and had been found to be seriously contaminated by
germs of food poisoning. By the time this report was received the bulk
of the meat had been released, and had been distributed to various
firms in the United Kingdom. It was discovered in the course of investigation
that previous shipments were also affected with similair
organisms. The work involved in tracing the total consignments,
amounting to some 75 tons of meat, was considerable, but it is satisfactory
to relate that only in two instances had sales taken place before preventive
action could be taken by the local authority concerned.