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
Yiewsley and West Drayton 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Yiewsley]
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LONDON AIRPORT
During the year one could see positive signs of the commencement of redevelopment
of the Old North Terminal Area and two new flight catering kitchens were
opened. These were registered under the Food and Drugs Act 1955 as food manufacturing
premises and are modern and hygienic in every respect.
Two old canteen kitchens were demolished and all canteen facilities transferred to
Central Terminal Area in modern buildings.
Routine inspections were carried out during the year and of the millions of meals
prepared only one was the suspected cause of food poisoning, involving five people was
notified, with no evidence pointing to faulty handling or preparation at the airport.
On request the Ministry of Aviation have complied with many requirements to improve
the standards of both structures and fittings in food premises.
The inspection and sampling of imported foods was carried out during the year and the Public Health (Imported) Food Regulations 1937-48 administered. 569 inspections, during the day and night, were made and details of the various foods inspected are as follows:—
| Tons | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confectionery and Flour Confectionery | 14 | 3 | 4 | |
| Fresh Meat | 30 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Cooked Meat and Meat Products | 25 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Salami and Other Sausages | 46 | 10 | 2 | 5 |
| Fish | 10 | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| Shellfish | 13 | 1 | 0 | |
| Fruit | 18 | 1 | 5 | |
| Vegetables | 8 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Offal | 11 | 17 | 2 | 12 |
| Cheese | 5 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Butter | 4 | 0 | 21 | |
| Miscellaneous | 26 | 12 | 0 | 24 |
In addition to the other inspections, sampling of imported foods was carried out and the results are shown in the following table:—
| No. of Samples Taken | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gypsy Pork Roast | 14 | 3 | 11 |
| German Sausage (Frankfurters) | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| German Sausage (Ruskinderfer) | 1 | 1 | — |
| Tea Sausage | 1 | — | 1 |
| Chicken Roll | 1 | 1 | — |
| Chicken Hamburger | 1 | 1 | — |
| Chicken Steak | 1 | 1 | — |
| Open Packed Meat | 1 | 1 | — |
| Debreziner Roast | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | 12 | 14 |