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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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46.
Despite the small acreage of the Borough stocks of food in the warehouses
are extremely large and total millions of pounds sterling. The owners of the
large food warehouses welcome inspectorial visits and give every assistance to
the Public Health Inspectors. The range of stock is varied and includes
Household Provisions, Tea, Food Essence and Flavouring Materials, Drugs, Spices
and other articles of food.
The 1955 Food Hygiene Regulations are one of the principal factors
concerning the duties of the Food Inspector. Most people in the food trade
now realise that these Regulations were introduced to protect the trader as
well as the general public. The result is, there are few habitual offenders
and Intimation Notices are complied with more or less immediately.
Notices served under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1955 were responsible for the follwoing items of work and apparatus being completed and installed -
| Wash-hand basins provided | 5 |
| Sinks - not wash-hand basins - provided | 6 |
| Provision of hot water over sinks and wash-hand basins | 12 |
| Accommodation for clothing | 3 |
| Refrigerators installed | 4 |
| Li^it and ventilation provided or increased | 7 |
| General repairs completed | 26 |
| Dirty floors cleaned, covered, repaired etc | 31 |
| Nail brushes provided | 11 |
| Food cabinets or storage accommodation provided | 4 |
| Food preparation tables renewed or covered with non-absorbent materials | 12 |
| Premises or parts of premises re-decorated | 37 |
| Improvements to urinals (Public Houses) | 8 |
| First-aid materials provided | 2 |
| Cleansing of equipment | 26 |
| Cleansing of Food Rooms | 33 |
| Refuse, abatement of nuisance due to storage etc | 10 |
| Drainage defects | 8 |
Stalls Warning letters were sent to the owners of two fish stalls who were
reluctant to put up their back covers during warm periods of weather. In one
case the stallholder has now provided Perspex side covers.
UNSOTJND FOOD.
There were no seizures of unsound food during the year and the amount
found unfit for human consumption and for which certificates were issued was
very small in comparison with the amount prepared, distributed and sold in the
Borough.