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44
of the Ministry of Food, Milk Division, and unsatisfactory results
notified to them for appropriate action. Nevertheless, we too take
up the matter of any failure with the Dairyman concerned and any
apparent fault in the plant or recording instruments accounting for
the failure is rectified.
There were, at the commencement of 1947, four producers of
specially designated milks in the Borough, three producing Tuberculin
Tested milk and one Accredited. One of the producers of
Tuberculin Tested milk discontinued business later in the year. As
agents of the Kent County Council, we submit samples for bacteriological
examination to the County Pathologist. The samples should
comply with the tests outlined in the Milk (Special Designations)
Order, 1936. 19 samples were submitted during the year, 14 satisfying
the tests and 5 failing. The County Council, being the
Licencing Authority for the product of Tuberculin Tested and
Accredited Milk, take whatever action is considered necessary on the
submission of an unsatisfactory sample. It should be explained that
the tests are not concerned with the chemical analysis of the milk,
e.g., for fat and solids—not—fat content, but with bacteriological
examination, which gives an indication as to whether or not the milk
is produced in clean conditions, free from sources of contamination.
Food Unfit for Human Consumption.
It was not necessary, during the year, to implement the provisions
of the Food and Drugs Acts, 1938, regarding seizure of unsound food.
Many tons of food, mainly of the tinned variety, were, however,
surrendered by provision merchants, and, being unfit for human
consumption, were destroyed.
Unsound Food Complaints.
There are brought to our notice, fortunately only on infrequent
occasions, instances of alleged contaminated foods. A full investigation
is made in each case, although it is not always possible to confirm
the complaint, or to decide that the food alleged to cause the
illness was in fact responsible.
For instance, it was alleged that the eating of jam tarts purchased
from a bakery caused sickness in two children. No remains of the
actual tarts consumed were available. Investigations showed that the
bakery made 200 daily, using the usual ingredients, i.e., flour, fat,
sugar and jam. All had been sold and no other complaint had been
received. It was quite impossible to build any case to substantiate
the allegation.
Often the complaints are a great help to us in our work, enabling
us to put a finger on wrong or careless practices in food processing.
A resident produced a bottle of milk for our inspection. On the
inside of the bottle was a brown stain. It proved to be " old cream
line " which the process of cleansing failed to remove and which had
been charred. The milk was bottled outside Beckenham, but we
were able to trace the farm concerned and the Sanitary Inspector of
that District was informed, and enabled to require the farmer to
overhaul his cleansing apparatus.