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12
Contaminated food
There was an increase in the number of specimens of contaminated food dealt with by the department;
21 were reported by members of the public, compared with 18 last year. They included a piece of glass in a
jar of marmalade; mice dirt in a packet of dried peas: mould in sausage rolls and meat pie; a nail in a piece
of cake; larvae in a tin of drinking chocolate; a bandage in a bottle of milk; a wire staple in a 'hot dog';
and a piece of glass, a dead fly, grease from vegetable oil, pieces of rubber, bristles, a piece of paper, and
tobacco, in loaves of bread.
No action was taken in 4 of them because of insufficient evidence, and one was referred to another
local authority as the contaminated food was sold in their area. Of the remaining 16, 14 firms were cautioned
and 2 were prosecuted ; one was fined £10 with £5.5.0. costs for selling a bottle of milk with a bandage in
it, and the other was fined £5.0.0. with costs of £5.5.0. for selling bread containing tobacco.
One dirty milk bottle was reported but this was referred to another local authority for action because
the milk was bottled in their area.
Clean food—sampling
The Middlesex County Council is responsible for taking samples and for supervising the control of
food adulteration (Table 44). The Chief Officer of the Public Control Department has kindly supplied the
following information.
Of the 12 retailers who were concerned in the 15 samples found to be unsatisfactory, 1 was prosecuted.
6 were cautioned and no action was taken against the other 5.
One sample of milk contained splinters of glass ; an official caution was sent to the milk processor
concerned. Samples of milk from 3 churns in a consignment delivered to a processing depot were found to
be slightly deficient in solids-not-fat ; there was no evidence of added water. The average composition of the
consignment was satisfactory and no further action was taken.
Official cautions were issued to the bakers of a confection exposed for sale as "jam and cream
swiss roll" containing imitation cream, the importers of two samples of herrings in jelly containing an unauthorised
preservative, the retailer of sausages containing an authorised preservative which was not declared,
and to the manufacturer of a cream of mushroom soup mix which was found to be deficient in fat content.
A sample of tincture of iodine contained iodine in excess of the British Pharmocopoeia's prescribed
standard, but a subsequent sample was satisfactory and no further action was taken.
No action was taken in the case of an ice cream sample slightly deficient in fat, as a further sample
was genuine.
One butcher sold a mixture of steak, kidney und heart as "steak and kidney," and another sold a
mixture of steak and heart as "steak and kidney." One was officially cautioned and the other was prosecuted
and fined £10 with £5.5.0. costs.
Two samples of vinegar were slightly deficient in acetic acid. A subsequent sample from one retailer
was genuine but attempts to obtain a further sample from the other shop were unsuccessful.
Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887-1953
1,158 displays of articles of food were examined under the Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887-1953. One
firm failed to indicate the origin of imported meat and another butcher marked Argentine lamb and South
African pork as ' New Zealand'; one company was fined £8 and £2.2.0. costs, and the other £25 with
£10.10.0. costs. Three other traders were officially cautioned for failing to indicate the origin of imported meat,
marking imported meat with an incorrect indication of origin, and marking Polish bacon as ' Danish.'
Labelling of Food Order. 1953
803 articles of pre-packed food were examined under the Labelling of Food Order, 1953. No serious
infringements were detected.
False or misleading descriptions
Scrutiny of food advertisements and labels for false or misleading statements and descriptions can
usually be combined with inspections under the Labelling of Food Order, 1953. No serious infringements
were disclosed, but corrective action was secured for the descriptions applied to " milk block," "Double tea,"
imitation cream powder, cakes filled with a mixture of butter and sugar, canned mixed vegetables, raspberry
syrup, powdered soup mixes, medium red salmon, gorgonzola cheese spread and cheese spread.
Milk and Dairies (table 45)
Milk sales are regulated by the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 19491954,
the Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949-1953, and the Milk
(Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949-1954. Willesden has been a specified area since October,
1951: all milk sold by retail is sterilised, pasteurised, or tuberculin tested ; the sale of raw milk is prohibited.
On 1st October, 1954, the provisions of paragraph 7 of the Second Schedule to the Milk (Special
Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949, came into force. This restricts the bottling
of milk to the three premises in the borough where the milk is pasteurised.
20 inspections were made of the three dairies ; no defects were found.