View report page

102
The table shows the results of examination of 40 samples submitted
to the Public Health Laboratory at Epsom during 1970. Owing to the
numerous factors governing the hygienic quality of ice cream, undue
attention is not paid to the bacteriological results on any single
sample. Those which are placed within Grades I and II are considered
to be satisfactory and those within Grades III and IV not so.

Two of the Grade IV samples were taken from open cans and the
other from a soft ice cream machine.
Bacteriological Examination.
Twenty samples of various kinds of food were taken for bacteriological
examination in the Public Health Laboratory to check on fitness
for human consumption and possible association with cases of food
poisoning.
Three samples of pet foods were examined and no food poisoning
organisms found.
Articles with which food comes into contacts, including slicing
machines, were swabbed to check on the standards of cleanliness.
Meat Depots and Imported Food.
There are no slaughterhouses in the Borough and the retail shops
receive their meat from Smithfield and from the local wholesale depots.
Some home killed meat comes from the modern abattoir at Guildford.
There are ten wholesale meat depots in the Borough, the main group
being situated in The Bittoms, with three in Wood Street and one in
Cambridge Road. The meat handled includes fresh meat from within the
British Isles and imported meat from Europe, South America and
Australasia.
During the year numerous visits were paid to the depots and 278
containers of food, almost entirely meat, were received in Kingston
from various ports without having been inspected by Port Health
Inspectors. The majority came from Ireland but some from the
continent.