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

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City of London 1968

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

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AGRICULTURE PRODUCE (GRADING AND MARKING) ACTS, 1928-1931
Regulations made under these Acts prescribe designations referred to as "Grade designations"
indicating the quality of certain articles of agricultural or fishery produce. Such regulations
contain definitions of the quality indicated by every "grade designation" thereby prescribed and
specify a "grade designation mark" to represent each "grade designation".
The Acts also stipulate that all "preserved" eggs shall be so marked before being offered
for sale and that all premises used for the cold storage or chemical storage of eggs shall be
registered with the local authority. There are no firms so registered in the City of London. No
difficulty was experienced in the administration of these Acts.
MERCHANDISE MARKS ACT. 1926
This Act prohibits the importation of certain foodstuffs unless they bear marks indicating
the "country of origin" or whether they are of "Foreign" or "Empire" origin.
Furthermore certain imported foods sold loose, such as fresh apples, raw tomatoes etc. must
bear a label indicating the country of origin or the word "Foreign" or "Empire" when offered
or exposed for sale.
No difficulty has been experienced in the administration of this Act.
The Trade Descriptions Act, 1968 which came into force on the 30th November 1968 repeals
the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926. However, Orders in Council made under Section 2 of the Act
of 1926 and requiring indication of origin shall continue for three years.
FISH INSPECTION
Inspection of fish in the City of London is carried out by officers of the Worshipful the Fishmongers'
Company.

The Fishmeters returns indicated as follows:—

Deliveries at or near Billingsgate MarketWeight ofCondemnation
(including shellfish)Fish condemnedRate
82,100 tons261 tons0.31%

MEAT AND FOOD INSPECTION - SMITHFIELD MARKET
Deliveries of meat and poultry etc. to Smithfield Market dropped from 343,619 tons in 1967
to 318,257 tons in 1968.
Meat Inspection Regulations, 1963
Meat from England and Wales surrendered for diseased condition amounted to 0.03% of the
86,425 tons of such meat delivered to Smithfield Market.
Local Authorities were notified of significant losses due to disease from carcases bearing
their legible inspection stamp and were also immediately informed of any instance, for example,
unstamped carcases, where meat from their area had apparently left the slaughterhouses in contravention
of these Regulations.
Some enquiries were received from local authorities concerning unstamped meat from Smithfield.
All were found to refer to meat coming from Scotland where meat marking is not a requirement.
Abscess formation was the most frequently found manifestation of disease in pigs from all
sources. Pyaemia or multiple abscesses accounted for 61% of pork carcases condemned. Emaciation
with oedema etc. accounted for 80% of all carcases of mutton from the United Kingdom
condemned.
Six carcases of beef and offals in which localised infestation with cysticercus bovis had
been found on routine examination in the slaughterhouse were, by arrangement with local authorities,
received in Smithfield and detained in cold storage for the prescribed period.
Imported Food Regulations, 1968
Meat from the Republic of Ireland became "Imported Meat" for the purpose of these Regulations
which came into force on the 1st August, 1968. This meat and offals etc. arrived in
Smithfield and the City Cold Stores in rail containers from various ports of entry. Examination
for the purposes of these Regulations is not made at the ports but deferred until the containers
reach their destination. The Meat Inspectors were faced with the time consuming task of tracing