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

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Barking 1937

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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103
SECTION E.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
1. MILK SUPPLY AND ICE-CREAM.
(a) Milk Supply.—There are no cowkeepers in the district, and the rationalisation
of distribution has become so extensive that in Barking we have now only one
dairy, where milk is handled or treated, that is, in the accepted sense.
On our register there are 87 purveyors, 20 of whom occupy premises outside the
district and the remainder retail pre-packed supplies.
As I have foreshadowed elsewhere, the operation of the Milk and Dairies Orders
has tended to eliminate the small dairyman.

The following table sets out the results of the bacteriological examination of various samples, from which it will be seen that, out of a total of 47, one was found to be unsatisfactory:—

Type of Sample.Satisfactory.Unsatisfactory.Totals.
"Sterilised" Milk__-
"Pasteurised" Milk24-24
Raw Milk20-20
"Homogenised" Milk213
Totals46147

There were during the year 42 samples of milk submitted to biological
examination for the presence of tubercle. Two of the 42 samples were found to
be infected and the necessary action was taken.
The two samples of milk found to contain tubercular germs were taken from
country farm supplies prior to pasteurisation.
It is satisfactory to know that over 99 per cent. of the milk supplied in Barking
is pasteurised.