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
Heston and Isleworth 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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69
INSPECTION OF OTHER FOODS.
Section 72 of the Public Health Act, 1925, provides, in some
measure, for the prevention of contamination of food stuffs (other
than meat) when stored or kept on enclosed premises; but there
appear to be no provisions made for dealing with the contamination
of foodstuffs deposited for sale, in an open manner, on forecourts to
shops and on stalls and barrows standing or moving about the roadways
of a district.
I wish again to draw attention to the want of perspective in
the way in which meat is dealt with, and such things as figs, dates,
sweets and biscuits, which are eaten raw, are exposed in open shop
fronts, barrows, and on street vendors' trays, on which horse dung
and other filth has blown, whereas meat is cooked before being eaten.
The time has come when legislation should be provided to insist
that all such foods should he kept inside, and if possible under cover.
I am indebted to Dr. J. Tate, County Medical Officer, for the following report prepared by the Chief Officer of the Public Control Department, as to the samples purchased in this area during 1930.
| Article | Taken | Adulterated |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 19.2 | 4 |
| Chocolate | 1 | — |
| Dripping | 1 | — |
| Gin | 3 | — |
| Lemon Squash | 2 | — |
| Meat | 15 | — |
| Minced Beef | 2 | — |
| Sausages | 4 | — |
| Whisky | 4 | — |
| 224 | 4 |
The unsatisfactory samples of milk were informal samples in
which small deficiencies in fat were reported. No formal sample
was reported as adulterated.