View report page

115
INSPECTION OF FOOD AT RIVERSIDE WHARVES, &c.
As the result of the daily inspection of the City wharves, 166 loads of unsound
food were removed from these places during the year by the Cleansing Department.

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 the Sanitary Authorities under this section affords a test where this line
of defence is adopted.
Additional powers with regard to dealing with imported food have now been
conferred upon your Officers by the Regulations made by the Local Government Board
under the provisions of the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907.
ICE CREAM.
In 1911 there were 243 premises in the City where ice creams were sold, as
compared with 241 in 1910.
In 108 instances the ice cream sold at these establishments was manufactured
under supervision within the City, and in 135 cases the commodity was prepared in other
districts and brought into the City ready for sale. In the latter cases, letters of
enquiry relating to the conditions of manufacture were sent to the Medical Officer of
Health of the Borough in which the ice creams were made. In no case was there an
unsatisfactory reply, which illustrates the great improvement that has taken place in the
production of this article during the last two years.
These places may be classified as under:—
Place of Manufacture.
Number In the City. In other Districts.
Tea shops 126 41 85
Confectioners 26 16 10
Small confectioners and light refreshment
shops 91 52 39
With two exceptions, the 91 small confectioners and refreshment shops were kept
by foreigners.