London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1956

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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Section 108 amends Section 80 of the 1938 Act to extend the period of the time limit for the
institution of proceedings from the date of procuring the sample to two months in respect of
samples other than milk (for which samples the period remains at twenty-eight days).
Section 109 — Under this Section, in the institution of any proceedings under Section 6 (false
labelling or advertisement) so far as it relates to food or where provided for by regulations made
by the Ministers under Section 7 (labelling and description of food), the council is required to
give at least fourteen days notice to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, of their
intention to institute such proceedings, together with a summary of the facts upon which the
charges are founded.
Section 16 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, provides for the registration of premises for the
sale, manufacture or storage of ice cream intended for sale, and the preparation ormanufacture of
sausages, potted, pressed, pickled or preserved food intended for sale.
At the end of the year 130 premises were registered. 232 inspections were made in connection
therewith.

The types of business carried out at these premises were as follows, some premises being registered for more than one activity:—

Bacon1Meat — cooked10
Dripping and fat rendering7Meat — canning2
Hams9Sausages12
Ice Cream (sale)69Sausage casings8
Jerlied Eels5Shellfish9
Meat Brining24V egetables1

Mr. G.E. Harrington, Sampling Officer under the Food and Drugs Act, reports as follows:—
"Three hundred and eighty samples have been submitted to the Public Analyst, twenty-four
of these were formal and three hundred and fifty-six were informal samples. Adverse reports were
received on sixteen samples; in one case legal proceedings were instituted and in the other
instances, appropriate cautions were administered.
Milk
The average composition of genuine milk samples taken during the year was:— milk fat: 3.63
per cent.; solids (not fat): 8.88 per cent.; total solids 12.51 per cent.
Twenty-four samples of pasteurised milk were examined by the phosphatase and methylene
blue tests, five of which were also submitted to general bacteriological examination. The phosphatase
test is a check on the efficiency of the heat treatment applied to the milk and the methylene
blue test on its keeping quality which bears relation to cleanliness and care in handling.
One sample of pasteurised milk was submitted for general bacteriological examination only and
one sample of sterilised milk was examined by the turbidity test which in the case of this particular
milk is also a check on the efficiency of heat treatment. Adverse reports were received on
two of the samples examined bacteriologically and the suppliers were cautioned.
There are now in the City, seven dairies within the meaning of the Milk and Dairies Regulations,
1949. Milk is sold however, for consumption on the premises in a considerable number of
milk-bars, snack-bars and restaurants.
Eighty-six Supplementary Licences in respect of twenty-five firms and individuals and thirtythree
Dealers Licences in respect of fifteen firms and individuals were issued under the Milk
(Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949/50 and the Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised
and Sterilised Milk) Regulations 1949/53.
Three Firms with premises outside the City were registered under the Milk and Dairies
Regulations, 1949 as distributors of milk within the City.
Condensed Milk
The attention of this Department was drawn to a breach of the Public Health (Condensed
Milk) Regulations, 1923/1953 in relation to the labelling of a particular brand of condensed milk.
The matter was taken up with the importers who submitted for consideration the labels of certain
other brands. These also did not comply in every respect with the requirements of the Regulations
and the importers were notified accordingly. They undertook to make alterations to existing
labels and to take the matter up with their shippers to ensure compliance in the future.
Daily Cream
All the samples of cream submitted to the Public Analyst complied with the standards laid
down by the Food Standards (Cream Order) 1951.
Two samples of single, nine of double and one of sterilised cream were submitted to the
Bacteriologist. Of the doable exsam samples, seven supplied from the same source outside
London were found to be unsatisfactory and full details were communicated to the Medical Officer
of Health for the district where the cream was prepared and packed.
11.