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
Havering 1973
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Havering]
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Council. Details of these prosecutions are as follows
| Complaint | Result of Legal Fine | Proceedings Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Flies in bottle of milk | £ 50 | £16.55 |
| Rodent excreta in bread | 25 | 16.55 |
| Rodent excreta in Matzo Meal | 100 | 21.55 |
| Paper in can of meat | 50 | 10 |
| Wood in can of strawberries | 25 | 10 |
| Metal in sausage roll | 25 | 10 |
| Metal in loaf of bread | 20 | 5 |
| Metal in loaf of bread | 20 | 5 |
| Mould on cake | 20 | 5 |
| Mould on loaf of bread | ^0 | 10 |
| Fly in sausage | 30 | 10 |
| Mouldy meat pie | 25 | 13.80 |
| Rodent excreta in dough-nuts | 30 | 20 |
Two other cases were taken, one of which the witness withdrew the evidence
and a warning letter was sent to the producers. The second case concerning
a place of plastic in a biscuit resulted in the defendent receiving a
conditional discharge.
The commodities involved in the 320 food complaints were:-
Alcoholic drinks 2
Bread 49
Butter 7
Coffee 1
Cream 3
Cereals 7
Cheese 9
Eggs 2
Fish, fresh 5
canned 11
Flour 3
Flour confectionery 34
Fruit, fresh 8
canned 14
Frozen Foods 10
Ice Cream . 2
Jam 4
Milk 32
Meat, fresh 18
canned 11
products 30
Medicine 4
Poultry 2
Ready cooked meals 5
Soft drinks 6
Sugar 3
Sweets 14
Vegetables,fresh 6
canned 17
Yoghurt 1
The number of food complaints has increased by 20% over the previous year
with the bulk of the complaints concerning foreign materials, mould and insects.
A total in these instances of 202.
Foreign Materials in all foods 103
Mould 56
Insects in food 43
The producers of the various commodities in which insects and foregin
bodies have been found have all been warned that improvement must be made in
excluding these contaminants from the final products.
1.