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SURRENDER OF UNSOUND MEAT AND OTHER FOODS (excluding meat
at slaughterhouse)

In addition, 7,302 lbs. of tea was found to be unfit for human consumption and was
reblended under supervision so that it did not form more than 5 per cent. of the final
product.
IMPORTED FOOD REGULATIONS—EXAMINATION OF TEA
Imports of teas from all parts of the world arrived at a large tea blending and
packing factory in Greenford, and approximately 10 per cent. of stocks received
during the year came direct from the London docks without inspection on landing.
This placed on the Council the responsibility of sampling and examining the consignments
to ensure that they were fit for use for human consumption in accordance
with the provisions of the Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations, 1937. The
remaining 90 per cent. of stocks received at the factory arrived from bonded warehouses
in London and had already been subject to inspection by other local
authorities.
During the year, 624 samples from total consignments of 80,841 cases, received at
the factory without prior inspection, were taken by public health inspectors and
examined for evidence of unfitness and contamination by foreign substances.
Experience has shown that teas from certain growing areas of the world are more
likely to be contaminated than others and sampling was therefore selective.
Of the 624 samples examined locally only 14 were found to be of doubtful quality
and these were referred to the Council's Analyst for more detailed examination and
report. Of the 14 samples examined by him, only one was unsatisfactory and this
was from a consignment of 47 cases containing excessive amounts of metallic dust.
Contamination of these 47 cases was such that the tea was blended under supervision
with other good teas so that it did not form more than 5 per cent. of the final blend.
The blending machinery itself includes suitably placed magnets which extract much
of the metallic content whenever this is present. Samples of the resultant product
were found on examination to be satisfactory.
The amount of tea found to be unsuitable for use without special arrangements
affecting the blending was only 0.058 per cent. of the total quantity examined, and
this represented the lowest percentage achieved since sampling and inspection by the
local authority was commenced in 1949, when the duties were taken over by the
former Municipal Borough of Ealing from H.M. Customs and Excise.
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