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
Shoreditch 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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142
The majority of the samples taken were of milk, which was represented by 297
samples during the year. Of these 26 or 8.75 per cent. were found to be below the
standard fixed by the Ministry of Agriculture. The following table shows the result
of analysis:—
Table No. 130
| Quarter of the year | Number of samples | Number not genuine | Percentage adulterated |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 94 | 16 | 17.02 |
| Second | 74 | 2 | 2.70 |
| Third | 66 | 5 | 7.57 |
| Fourth | 63 | 3 | 4.76 |
25 of these samples were certified to contain added water, the highest amount
being 11 per cent., but the majority being less than 2 per cent.
One of the samples showed deficiency in fat of 2 per cent.
Legal proceedings were instituted in 5, or 19.2 per cent., of the cases in which
samples of milk were below standard.
No legal proceedings were considered advisable in the remainder of the milk
samples which were below standard. The percentage of adulterated samples of milk
in which it was not thought advisable to institute legal proceedings was 80.7.
PRESERVATIVES IN FOOD REGULATIONS
All articles taken were in accordance with the regulations.
(e) LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Legal proceedings taken during the year are shown in Appendix C on page 165.