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
Hornchurch 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hornchurch]
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| Sample No. | ARTICLE | Sample obtained formally, informally, or from complainant. | Nature of adulteration or irregularity, | Action taken. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inf.209 | Milk. | Complainant. | Contained mould growth, dirt and sand. | Vendor (bottling firm) fined £3. |
| Inf.230 | Vinegar. | Informal. | Consisted of dilute solution of acetic acid and colouring matter and therefore should not have been described as " vinegar." | Following the taking of this sample the product was sold as "Non-brewed Condiment" in accordance with a recent Court decision. |
| Inf.257 | Milk. | Informally. | 11% deficient in fat. | Follow-up formal samples were found to be satisfactory. |
| Inf.259 (a). | Bread roll containing Beef filling. | Complainant. | Bread contained small portion of discoloured dough. | Baker informed. No further action considered necessary. |
Food and Drugs Act, 1938—Section 13.
60 notices were served during the year on owners or occupiers
of premises coming within the scope of this section of the Food and
Drugs Act, 1938. No statutory action was required.
Food Complaints.
A substantial amount of work accrues from the investigation of
sporadic food complaints brought to our notice by members of the public
and I note below general details of the cases which were selected for
prosecution and the action taken in connection therewith :—
Complaint. Action.
Bread containing rubber material. Prosecution ; fined £2 with
£1 2s. 6d. costs.
Bun containing rusty nail. Prosecution ; fined £2.
Doughnut containing wire. Prosecution ; fined £3.
Certain other complaints after a full investigation were not deemed
suitable for prosecution either because the evidence was not wholly
satisfactory or the offence—if in fact there was any at all—seemed trivial.
Examples under this heading included:—
Strawberry jam containing glass.
Bread containing portion of flour sack label.
Bread containing a small insect, and various meats which had come
under suspicion as the cause of alleged illness. Numerous instances of
dirty milk bottles were also brought to our notice.