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
Stepney 1921
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
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that boric acid is injurious to infants and certain invalids and it appears to
me unfortunate that vendors are not obliged to notify purchasers of its
presence in butter. Such a notification is required in the case of cream. In
any case the permissible amount might well be reduced to 0.25 per cent.;
78 per cent. of the samples taken in Stepney during 1921 would pass this
standard, a fact which shows the higher limit to be unnecessary.
Margarine.
One hundred and eighty-seven samples were examined of which eight or
4.3 per cent. were adulterated. In each case the adulteration consisted of
the presence of an excessive amount of water.
Details of the adulterated samples are given in Table K.
Table K.
| Number. | Excess water per cent. | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| H47 (informal) | 3.2 | Same vendor as H62. |
| E91 (informal) | 7.2 | Same vendor as E96. |
| E96 | 9.6 | Vendor paid £4 4s. 0d. costs. |
| H62 | 6.1 | Vendor paid £2 2s. 0d. costs. |
| D75 (informal) | 1.5 | Same vendor as D86. |
| E88 (informal) | 3.5 | Subsequent sample genuine. |
| D86 | 1.2 | Vendor cautioned. |
| S93 (informal) | 2.3 | Subsequent sample genuine. |
Of recent years samples of margarine containing excess moisture have
been very uncommon. All the above samples were of a brand guaranteed
free from animal fat and specially prepared for the Jewish market. As none
of the retailers pleaded a warranty it was impossible to take any action
against the wholesaler.
173 of the samples, or 92.5 per cent. contained boric acid, the average
amount present being 0.23 per cent. No sample contained more than 0'5 per
cent. of boric acid.
In 53 cases the vendors had not complied with the requirements of the
Butter and Margarine Acts with regard to labelling. The proportion of the
samples unsatisfactory in this respect was about the same as in 1920. In 1920
73 samples were taken and 20 or 27.4 per cent. did not comply with the Acts.
In 1921, 28.4 per cent. of the samples did not comply. These figures
are very unsatisfactory. Table L gives details of the action taken in each
case. Summonses were taken out in 27 instances. It is to be hoped that this
action may lead to an improvement in 1922.