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
Edmonton 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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Five members of the staff of the bakery were found to have bacteria
of the same strain as that which caused the outbreak in their gut. As
practically every one of the 37 persons who fell ill had eaten food
bought at the bakery, circumstantial evidence against the bakery is very
strong. The fact that one of the affected bakery staff was in the habit
of washing his hands with the aid of the cloth which was used to wash
down the baking benches, is the most important piece of evidence. This
bakery has now been cleaned up, and is much improved, but neither this
baker for the majority of food premises in Edmonton has taken advantage
of the Public Health Laboratories offer to screen their staff bacteriolcgically.
UNSOUND FOOD
The following is a list of the food surrendered for examination and retained as unfit for human consumption:-
| Meat | 2,464 tins | Tomato Juices | 113 tins. |
| Milk | 1,469 do. | Butter | 19 lbs. |
| Fish | 1,493 do. | Lamb | 697½ lbs. |
| Jams etc. | 413 do. | Mutton | 560 lbs. |
| Soups | 944 do. | Beef | 2,189¾ lbs. |
| Beans | 1,171 do. | Pork | 706¼ lbs. |
| Beetroot | 46 do. | Ham | 45½ lbs. |
| Carrots | 190 do. | Skate. | 35 stone. |
| Mixed Vegetables | 260 do. | Sausages | 23½ lbs.. . |
| Peas | 2,652 do. | Cheeses (26 packets) | 42 lbs. |
| Apples | 34 do. | Yeast | 186 lbs. |
| Apricots | 507 do. | Jellies | 18 only |
| Blackcurrants | 72 do. | Fish Paste | 152 jars |
| Cherries | 99 do. | Meat Paste | 193 jars. |
| Loganberries | 19 do. | Pickle | 78 jars. |
| Grapefruit | 328 do. | Cream | 760 tins. |
| Gooseberries | 50 do. | Sauce | 142 bottles. |
| Fruit Salad | 761 do. | Spaghetti | 62 tins |
| Oranges | 575 do. | Pastry Mix | 45 pkts. |
| Peaches (35 boxes) | 1,601 do. | Cake Mix | 77 pkts. |
| Pears | 668 do. | Bovril | 38 bottles |
| Pineapple | 1,282 do. | Marmite | 3 jars. |
| Plums | 134 do. | Salad Cream | 69 jars. |
| Prunes | 170 do. | Tomatoes | 3,466 tins. |
| Raspberries | 59 do. | Fruit Juices. | 319 tins. |
| Rhubarb | 34 do. | Rice | 448 tins. |
| Strawberries | 98 do. | Eggs | 8 tins. |
| Blackberries | 36 do. | Baby Food | 191 tins. |
| Redcurrants | 9 do. | Walnuts | 8 lbs. |
| Macaroni | 24 do. | Crab | 31 tins. |
| Vegetable Juices. | 25 do. | Potato Chips | 212 pkts. |
| Cereals | 101 pkts. | Puddings, Pie Fillings etc. | 1,099 pkts. |
| Salt | 3 pkts. | ||
| Sweets | 62 pkts. |
The food examined and condemned by the Officers of the Public Health
Department is disposed of either at the Council's Refuse Disposal Incinerating
Plant, or the Council's Refuse Disposal Pit.