London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Southall 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]

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Satisfactory communication has been maintained during the year with the County Public Control Department, and the report on the work carried out in Southall by the staff of that Department is as follows:—

ArticleTotal Samples ProcuredUnsatisfactory
Milk (new)3412
Milk (various)70-
Bread Roll11
Butter2-
Cakes7
Cheese21
Cooked Meat31
Cream5
Fish and Fish Products6
Fruit (fresh)62
Fruit (canned)12-
Fruit Squash, etc2-
Garden Peas11-
Liver2-
Meat and Meat Products6-
Preserves4-
Sausages and Sausage Meat7-
Spirits2-
Sweets2-
Vinegar5-
Miscellaneous21-
Totals21017

New Milk. 11 of the unsatisfactory samples were from one farmer who was consigning
milk to a Depot in this district. The samples were found to be deficient both in milk fat
and solids-not-fat. There was no evidence of any added water. The attention of the
farmer concerned was drawn to these deficiencies and the circumstances were also reported
to the Milk Marketing Board in order that the farmer might receive the benefit of the
Board's advisory service. Another sample of new milk from a different farmer was found
to be slightly deficient in milk fat. Associated samples from the same source were all found
to be satisfactory and no further action was called for.
Fresh Fruit. A retailer was found to be describing Dunn's Seedlings as "Newtown"
apples. Proceedings were instituted and the retailer was fined £3. There was a further
summons against this trader for falsely describing Packham Triumph pears as "Williams."
He was also fined £3 for this offence and ordered to pay costs of £2 2s. od. The proceedings
in respect of the pears were instituted without a sample having been procured.
A sample of lemons imported from California was found to have the rinds treated with
a fungicide and preservative, the use of which is prohibited in this country. A full investigation
was made into this matter when it was found that no offence against the above Act
had been committed in Middlesex. The importers concerned were written to and full
information given to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Bread Roll. A sample of a bread roll was found to contain a small quandty of oil and
grease. This was in no way harmful and had come from the machinery used in the bakery.
Such machinery is invariably lubricated with grease specially manufactured for this purpose
and which is harmless. An official caution was sent to the baker concerned.
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