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Complaints of unsound or contaminated food.
During the course of any year many and varied types of food are
brought to the Department for examination. Each case is thoroughly
investigated, and where considered necessary the Council has instituted
proceedings against the manufacturers or vendors.
Some complaints are completely unjustified. Others may have
some justification but do not allow of official action being taken. Meat
particularly comes into this latter category. It is sometimes difficult
for the public to realise that what is unappetising or distasteful is not
necessarily unfit for human consumption. It is only if we are able to
certify food as unfit for human consumption that we can condemn and
destroy it.
A few instances of the delivery of milk in "dirty" bottles were
brought to our notice, but we were satisfied that no case of wilful neglect
or unnecessary carelessness was brought to light. When one considers
the millions of bottles delivered in Beckenham annually the number of
failures to find and reject the dirty or stained bottle are surprisingly few.
Great care is exercised, as may be judged by the thousands of bottles
which are discarded by dairymen because of careless handling by the
public after the milk has been consumed. The filthy condition in which
some bottles are returned to vendors has to be seen to be believed.
Bacon, alleged to have caused illness to one member of a family,
was examined and found to be perfectly fit for food.
As a result of the inspection of a quantity of soya flour found to
contain maggots, supplies in this area and in other boroughs were withdrawn.
The sale in certain shops of food so varied as sweets and greengrocery,
leaves, in my opinion, much to be desired. However there
exists no law to forbid this practice, but we pay particular attention
to such an establishment in order that the dangers of contamination
are minimised.
Complaint was made, by the consumer of a proprietary brand of
Glycerine, Lemon, and Ipecac, that burning of the mouth and throat
was caused after drinking the mixture. The Analyst could find no reason
for this happening, but his remarks on the article generally were interesting:-
... the article is a very poor thing altogether. Really it is a
sugar syrup, coloured and flavoured with citric acid, containing only
about 2½ per cent glycerine, and a minute amount of ipecacuhana.
It is doubtful whether it contains any other constituents of lemon apart
from the citric acid" The retail cost of this article was one shilling
and ninepence per bottle. It was not sold "recommended as a medicine"
and there fore no legal standard has to be attained.
Food and Drugs Sampling.
One of the most important duties of sanitary officers is the official
sampling of food and drugs. It is essential that this work shall be
culously carried out, with strict observance of all the requirements of the
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