London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Stepney 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stepney]

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Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations. 1937-1948.
Eighty-five Detention Notices and 80 Release Notices were served
under the Regulations. These affected a variety of foodstuffs,
including cocoa, coconut, egg powder, dried fruits, nuts, egg albumen,
assorted meats, sugar, tea, coffee, lard, casings, etc.
Consignments of lard and casings which arrived unaccompanied by the
official certificates, were subsequently released on production of the
necessary certificates. 259 carcases of mutton, representing a 5 per
cent examination, were examined for caseous lymphadenitis by the cutting
of the lymphatic glands. All the carcases were found to be free from
the disease.

Zeebrugge-Harwich Train Ferry. 308 midnight or early morning visits and 101 other visits were made to Bishopsgate Goods Station for the purpose of examining 6,137 trucks of foodstuffs arriving from the following countries:-

Belgian Congo22 trucks.Greece14 trucks
Belgium391 "Holland13 "
Bulgaria11 "Hungary262 "
Czechoslovakia6 "Italy4838 "
Denmark3 "South Africa3 "
Germany22 "Yugoslovia562 "

The weight of the foodstuffs examined was 58,946 tons, comprising
fresh fruit and vegetables - 48,762 tons; preserved fruits and vegetables
206 tons; cheese - 9 tons; fish - 42 tons; canned meats and sausages etc.
7,045 tons; butter - 291 tons; eggs - 103 tons; confectionery - 19 tons;
bacon - 2,281 tons; honey - 43 tons; wheat gluten - 6l tons; offals - 56
tons; casein - 15 tons; sauerkraut - 10 tons and honey cakes - 3 tons.
Foodstuffs found to be unsound and which were stopped and destroyed
amounted to 4 tons 14 cwts.
Samples taken for analysis for metallic contamination included
canned ox tongues, beef goulash, pigs tongues and jellied veal, and
samples of spinach, strawberries and apricot pulp were examined for
preservatives.
Six samples of Australian boneless veal were taken at wharf cold
stores for bacteriological examination for Salmonella organisms. All
were found to be free.
Six samples' of Argentine sugar, procured at a wharf, were submitted
for analysis for the presence of arsenic and were found to be arsenic free.
In addition,' samples of Yugoslavian sausages were examined for the
presence of horseflesh and preservatives. All were satisfactory.
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