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
Enfield 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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All milk samples during the year proved satisfactory, the average analysis being:
Fat 3.72%
Solids not fat 8.85%
The number of food complaints received was 113. Following investigation, warning letters were sent in the majority of incidents but in twenty-seven cases legal proceedings were instituted with the following results:
| Item | Fine | Costs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| Dirty milk bottle | 50 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| „ „ „ | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| „ „ „ | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| „ „ „ | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| „ „ „ | 50 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| „ „ „ | 50 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Foreign body in milk bottle | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Glass in milk bottle | 100 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Beetles in crisps | 15 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Beetle in cereal | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fly in bread | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Maggots in bacon | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Bolt in bread pudding | 50 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Metal bolt in cake | 25 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Metal in cake | 25 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Foreign body in cheese | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Cigarette end in cake | 30 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Unfit sausages | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Sour milk from vending machine | 30 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Mouldy bread rolls | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Mouldy cornish pasty | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Mouldy gateau | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mouldy meat pie | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Mouldy meat pie | 15 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mouldy pancakes | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Mouldy sausages | 30 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mouldy steak pies | 40 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| £740 | 0 | 0 | £134 | 2 | 0 | |
Most of the complaints received concerned mouldy foods and much of this is
due to unsatisfactory stock rotation in the purveyor's premises. Many purveyors fail
to code their goods and this is particularly important in the self-service stores, where
customers may remove articles and subsequently return them to the shelves out of
rotation.
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