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 London 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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141
INSPECTION OF FOOD AT RIVERSIDE WHARVES, &c
As the result of the daily inspection of the City wharves, 163 loads of
unsound food were removed from these places during the year by the
Cleansing Department.
The material so disposed of comprised:—
| Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinned fruit and vegetables | 41 | 14 | 2 |
| Condensed milk | 67 | 5 | 3 |
| Miscellaneous tinned food | 34 | 11 | 3 |
| Fruit pulp | 16 | 17 | 2 |
| Fruit and vegetables | 30 | 12 | 2 |
| Miscellaneous food | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Total | 194 | 9 | 2 |
The greater portion of the above was removed at the written request of
the owners. Section 47 (8) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
provides that—
"Where a person has in his possession any article which is unsound
"or unwholesome or unfit for the food of man, he may, by written
"notice to the Sanitary Authority, specifying such article, and containing
"a sufficient identification of it, request its removal, and the Sanitary
"Authority shall cause it to be removed as if it were trade refuse."
This provision takes away the ground of a common defence in prosecutions
for being in possession of unsound food. It has often been suggested that
the food was set aside with the intention of destroying it before it was
discovered by the Inspector. This power to notify to Sanitary Authorities
under this section affords a test where this line of defence is adopted.