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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56
To the Mayor? Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea.
Madam Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
During the year 1951, 400 samples of foods and drugs vere examined
under the Food and Drugs Act. Of these, 213 were taken formally, and
187 informally.
The number adulterated or incorrectly labelled vas 18, or 4.5
per cent. Ho sample of milk examined during the year was found to be
adulterated.
The incidence of adulteration may be classified as follows:–
| Number of samples examined | Peroentage adulteration | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical | Labelling | ||
| Milk | 197 | 0% | 0% |
| Other Foods | 188 | 6.9% | 1.6% |
| Drugs | 15 | 0% | 13.0% |
Two samples of Ice Cream vere reported as adulterated. One contained
only 2.78 per cent of fat and vas 44 per cent deficient in fat; the other
contained 4.33 per oent of fat and was 14 per oent deficient. The Food
Standards Ice Cream Order, 1951, required Ice Cream to contain not less than
5 per oent of fat.
Some uncooked potato slices used for potato crisps were received and
reported as adulterated because they contained traces of sulphur dioxide.
Tour Analyst considered that -the prooedure of bleaching the unoooked potato
slices with sulphur dioxide was theoretically illegal, but as the Ministry
of Food had approved prooesses of this type, no exoeption could be taken by
a Local Authority.
A sample of sugar was found to be contaminated with floor sweepings,
and it vas thought that the sugar had been spilt on to the floor of a shop
and svept .up, but it was not possible to express a definite opinion as to hov
the dirt had originated. Later your Analyst's suspicions vere found to have
been correot.
A sample of Mushroom Ketohup vas reported as inferior because the label
did not state the ingredients, although the Ketchup vas satisfactory.
Pickles and Sauoes oome under the Labelling of Food Order, and the labels
must bear a notioe stating vhat are the ingredients, but this bottle may have
been old stock.
A sample of Cooonut in Syrup vas reported as inferior as the syrup
contained only 18.4 per oent of sugar. It is difficult to state exactly
hov much sugar must be present to varrant the use of the term "syrup'', but
as coconut oontains approximately 8 per cent of sugar a very mild sugar
solution only could have been employed for the canning of this preparation,
and the description "syrup" vas certainly not varranted.