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Two pasteurisers' licences, 7 dealers" licences and 4 supplementary licences
were issued under the provisions of the Milk (Special Designations) Regulations,
for the sale of pasteurised milk, and 14 dealers' and 3 supplementary licences were
issued for the sale of tuberculin tested milk.
Meat Supplies. With the exception of one used occasionally under licence
from the Ministry of Food, all slaughterhouses in the Borough remained closed.
The number of animals slaughtered and inspected at this one slaughterhouse during
the year was 100.
Basement Bakehouses. In 1938, certificates of suitability were issued as
required by the Factories Act, 1937, in respect of seven basement bakehouses.
In 1943 the quinquennial examination was carried out and the certificates of suitability
were renewed in six instances. In the remaining case the bakehouse had
not been used for a period exceeding twelve months.
Premises where Food is Prepared or Offered for Sale. All such premises,
including those registered under the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act,
1936, are kept under frequent observation. The number of inspections carried out
during the year was 1,421. The total weight of food certified as unfit for human
consumption was 11 tons 2 cwts. Very little of this food was destroyed, most of
it being used for animal feeding.
Analysis of Food and Drugs. During the year, 810 samples were submitted
to the Public Analyst for analysis. Of these, 655 were informal and 155
formal. Thirty-one samples were reported as adulterated (five of which were
formal), giving a percentage adulteration of 3.8 compared with 3.5 in 1942.
Suitable action was taken in each case of adulteration.
English Grown Almonds. Owing to the many enquiries he had, received as
to the edibility of locally grown almonds, the Public Analyst carried out an investigation
and submitted a report on samples obtained. His conclusions were
as follows:—
(1) English-grown almonds are almost entirely confined to the Common
Almond, P. Amygdalus (Communis) or its closely related forms, at least in
the neighbourhood of London. Poisonous varieties, if they occur, may be
detected at once by their bitter taste.
(2) The percentage of Hydrogen Cyanide yielded by the Common Almond
is about one-twentieth of that yielded by the bitter almond.
(3) This proportion would not appear to be dangerous if the nuts were
used in moderate quantities for normal dessert and cooking purposes.
Food Poisoning. Thirteen cases of food poisoning were notified. In each
case the illness was of a mild character and confined to individual private
households.