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36
Articles of Food Surrendered.
During the year the following articles were surrendered and condemned
as being unfit for the food of man: —
Biscuits—110 tins, 8¾ lbs.; Butter, Margarine and Fats— ½ lb.;
Butter (peanut)—2 tins; Cake—20 lbs.; Cereals—1861 lbs.. 4 packets.
1 box, 9 tins; Cheese—81¼ lbs., 1 box; Chocolate Spread—17 tins;
Coconut (dessicated)—158 lbs.; Coffee—½ lb.; Confectionery—19½ lbs.,
376 bars, 45 packets; Cordial—29 bottles; Eggs (shell)—1,337; Eggs
(dried)—5 ozs.; Fish (wet and dry)—207 stones; Fish tinned—786 tins:
Fish (shell)—6 bags, 2 boxes; Fish (paste)—561 tins, 10 jars; Flour328
lbs.; Foods (medicinal)—162 tins. 2 packets; Fruit (tinned)—873
tins; Fruit (bottled)—24 bottles; Fruit (dried)—226 lbs., 1 box; Fruit
(fresh)—631¾ lbs., 2 boxes; Gravy Mixtures—96 ozs., 26 tins,
2 bottles; Jam. Preserves, etc.—230 tins and jars; Meat (fresh)
4 cwt. 26 lbs.; Meat (pies)—4 cwt. 95 lbs.; Meat (tinned)—549 tins;
Milk (tinned)—1,708 tins; Pastry and Pudding Mixtures—49 packets,
5 tins; Pickles—42 jars; Poultry—3 geese, 12 chickens; Pudding
(Black)—4 lbs.; Puddings—4 tins; Rabbits—120 lbs.; Rice—217 lbs.:
Sandwich Spread—229 jars and tins; Sauces and Salad Cream, 239
bottles; Sausages—199 lbs.; Spices—278 packets, 1 drum; Soups.
365 tins; Sugar—56 lbs.; Vegetables (fresh)—2 lbs.; Vegetables (tinned)
—1,368 tins; Vinegar—1 bottle.
Foreign Bodies in Food.
25 complaints were received during 1950 of the presence of foreign
bodies in foodstuffs. All were investigated and legal proceedings were
taken in one case and a fine of £5 5s. 0d. plus £2 2s. 0d. costs, was
imposed on the food manufacturers. Letters of warning were served in
6 cases.
Food and Drugs Act.—During 1950, 314 samples (306 formal and 8
informal) of Food and Drugs were obtained; 1 formal sample and 2
informal samples were not satisfactory as follows: —
(a) Milk (formal).—This sample was deficient in fat to the extent
of 36%. Legal proceedings were taken against the dairyman but the
case was dismissed under the Probation of Offenders Act on payment
of £2 2s. Od. costs.
(b) Iced cake (informal).—This sample contained two black specks
which were identified as mice excreta. Legal proceedings were taken
and the bakery firm was fined £5.
(c) Bread (informal).—This sample contained foreign bodies which
were identified as masses of oil charred bread. A letter of warning
was sent to the bakery firm concerned.
Food Poisoning.
By virtue of Section 82 of the Ilford Corporation Act. 1937, food
poisoning became compulsorily notifiable in Ilford as from 1st October,
1937. It is also notifiable under Section 17, Food and Drugs Act. 1938.

* (Although only one child in one outbreak was found to give a positive
result on bacteriological investigation, a further 46 children were unwell,
but were not notified.)