London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chelsea]
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- 43 -
ICE CREAM
Eighty samples of Ice Cream were submitted to the Public Health
Laboratory Service for "Methylene Blue" tests, with the following resultst-
Grade I 50
Grade II 7
Grade III –
Grade IV 2_60
The remaining twenty samples were of coloured ices which did not
respond to the test.
A consideration of the table set out below will clearly emphasise the excellent standards now attaining in respect to Ice Cream.
| Grading | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of samples | Percentage of total | No. of samples | Percentage of total | No. of samples | Percentage of total | |
| I | 11 | 19.7 | 63 | 59.4 | 50 | 83.3 |
| II | 13 | 23.2 | 27 | 25.5 | 7 | 31.7 |
| III | 13 | 23.2 | 13 | 12.3 | – | – |
| IV | 19 | 33.9 | 3 | 2.8 | 3 | 5.0 |
| TOTALS: | 56 | 100.0 | 106 | 100.0 | 60 | 100.0 |
It will be readily apparent that whilst the percentage of satisfactory
(Grades I & II) samples has risen from 42.9 in 1949 to 95.0 in 1951, the
percentage of unsatisfactory (Grades III & TV) has fallen from 57.1 to 5.0
in the same period. Traders whose products are reported as "unsatisfactory"
receive notification of the adverse findings. Ice Cream manufactured in other
areas, and which is poorly graded, is the subject of communication to the
particular Medical Officers of Health.
Details of Ice Cream which has been chemically examined will be found in
the section devoted to "Food and Drugs" on page 56.