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
Woolwich 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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The presence of oil and oiled dough in bread again caused several complaints
to be made.
A further 17 complaints were received during the year of food sold in unsound
condition, and of food contaminated by rodent excreta. The majority of the
articles of food complained of were found to be genuine, for example, alleged unsound
saveloys, corned beef, meat pie, lemon squash, and cheese. It was necessary in
only six cases for further action to be taken. Where the cause of complaint was
justified, the food preparing premises were investigated by the Council's Food
Inspectors and the food handlers concerned were advised.
Food Sampling, 1955.
During the year ended 31st December, 1955, 823 samples (i.e., 608 informal
and 215 formal samples) were submitted for analysis to the Public Analyst. Of
these, 12 formal and 30 informal samples were reported to be adulterated or otherwise
not complying with the statutory requirements, giving a percentage of 5.0 compared
with 3.8 in 1954 and 3.2 in 1953. No private samples were examined during the
year.
The following table gives details of the adulterated samples:—
| Sample | Article. | Formal or Informal. | Result of Analysis. | Action taken. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 666 | Scotch Shortbread Mixture (Sugar Sweetened). | Informal | Contained no fat. Shortbread ordinarily contains a substantial proportion of fat. | Formal sample obtained. |
| 719 | Scotch Shortbread Mixture. | Formal | do., do. | Manufacturers warned. |
| 640 | Luncheon Meat | Informal | Contained meat 53 per cent. sulphur dioxide 130 parts per million. Luncheon meat ordinarily contains at least 80 per cent. of meat and is not permitted to contain sulphur dioxide. | Communicated with manufacturers. |
| 776 | Meringues | Informal | Made with synthetic gum (cellulose ether), instead of white of egg. | No further action. |
| 706 | Pork Sausages (Preserved). | Informal | Contained sulphur dioxide, 540 parts per million. | Formal sample obtained. |
| 756 | Pork Sausages (Preserved). | Formal | Contained sulphur dioxide 590 parts per million. Sausages may not contain more than 450 parts per million of sulphur dioxide. | Communicated with manufacturers. |
| 212 | Coffee | Informal | Consisted of Dry Coffee Extract. | No further action. |
| 38 | Pork Luncheon Meat, Canned. | Informal | Contained foreign matter, probably animal excrement. | Consignment investigated. |
| 74 | Vinegar | Informal | The proportion of solid extractives found indicated dilution, being barely half that contained in genuine malt vinegar. The article was described on the bottle as "Genuine Malt Vinegar." | Manufacturers warned and asked to alter label. |