London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Stepney 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]
This page requires JavaScript
Adulterated and Unsatisfactory Samples
Foods
Fish Paste. A3. (Informal). l9.l per cent deficient in fish.
Fish Paste. A552. (informal). 14.9 per cent deficient in fish.
Dessert Mould. A44. (informal). No ingredients stated.
Ground Ginger. D70. (Informal). 45.9 per cent deficient in
water-soluble ash and 30 per cent deficient
in water-soluble extractive.
Ground Ginger. D71. (informal). 43.5 per cent deficient in
water soluble ash and 10 per cent deficient
in water-soluble extractive.
Malt Vinegar. A.135.(Formal). Consisted of artificial vinegar.
Vondor fined £2 with £5-5-0 costs.
Calces. D124. (informal). Mouldy condition.
Tomato Sauce. D129. (informal). Contained 600 parts sulphur
dioxide per million.
Tomato Sauce. D162. (Formal). Contained 96 parts sulphur
dioxide per million. Vendor cautioned.
Tomato Sauce. A308. (informal). Contained 370 parts sulphur
dioxide per million.
Tomato Flavoured Sauce. D268. (Formal). Contained 302 parts
sulphur dioxide per million. Vendor
cautioned.
Tomato Sauce. A574. (Informal). Contained 130 parts sulphur
dioxide per million.
Tomato Sauce. A590. (Formal). Contained 140 parts sulphur
dioxide per million. No action.
The Preservatives, etc. in Food Regulations, 1925-1940,
state that sauces may contain 250 parts per million of
benzoic acid as preservative. (and apparently may contain
sulphur dioxide if an article in which sulphur dioxide is
permitted is used in the manufacture.) but S.R.& O. 1947,
No.876 states that tomato ketchup must contain no fruit or
vegetable other than tomatoes (except onions, garlic and
added spices) and future legislation recommended by the
Food Standards Committee 1948 requires tomato sauce, etc.
to have the same composition. Such a product would not
contain sulphur dioxide. The presence of sulphur dioxide
in a few of the samples examined is presumably due to an
earlier Ministry notice, PS/175, 3rd June 1943 allowing
manufacturers to use apple pulp containing not more than
350 parts sulphur dioxide per million.
Crab Paste. A176. (Informal). 19.4 per cent deficient in fish.
-61-