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BULK FOOD STORAGE
In my 1961 report reference was made to a newly opened large
capacity cold store adjacent to Hornsey Railway Station and I am
informed that the total amount of food passing through this store in
the year was almost 10,000 tons. A large proportion of this is
represented by the usual fresh and imported meat but unusual food
such as giant turtles and carcases of Australian kangeroos have also
been stored.
With the considerable increase in the public demand for raw
and tinned food for domestic animals, the importation of horseflesh
has also increased and this has been in the form of boned-out quarters
from South Africa, Bulgaria, Rumania and South America. For some
time this was not subjected to any restriction or control, but as it is
the practice in some homes to store this type of animal food in
refrigerators or larders close to food intended for human consumption,
action is now being taken. Because some of the horseflesh showed
the presence of salmonella organisms and this would lead to a risk
of cross infection, a system of sampling of the cargoes was instituted
at the Port of London. Positive results from 20% or more of the
bacteriological examinations of a 5% sampling of the 'parcels' was
considered sufficient grounds for insisting that release of the consignment
should be conditional on the whole being sterilised under official
supervision.
The introduction of this very necessary precaution at the port
led to some delay in the 'clearing' of consignments, and in order to
reduce the 'detention' period the importers requested that local storage
and laboratory facilities be used. Hornsey agreed to accept the work
on the understanding that similar conditions would be applied as at the
Port and between May and December about 6,000 'parcels' (184 tons)
of this animal food was delivered to the Cold Store in Hornsey. Five
per cent of the 'parcels' were sampled and the specimens examined at
the local laboratory of the Public Health Laboratory Service, each consignment
being 'detained' pending the results of the examination. As
at the Port of London where less than 20% of the 'parcels' showed
the presence of salmonella organisms, the whole consignment was
released subject to sterilisation of the infected 'parcels' under the
supervision of public health inspectors of an adjoining local authority,
but where 20% or more of the specimens taken gave positive results,
the whole consignment was required to be sterilised. As this
'standard' is intended to be made progressively more stringent, it
has been agreed that the whole consignment would require sterilising
if 15% or more of the specimens gave positive results. When
releasing this meat for distribution, the importers certify that it is
not intended for human consumption.
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