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HYGIENE OF FOOD
Food Poisoning
Four notifications of food poisoning were received during 1961. All of these were
confirmed bacteriologically as being due to infection with the organism Salmonella Typhi
Murium.
On the 22nd December, information was received from the Medical Officer of a large
local factory that twenty-four persons appeared to be suffering from food poisoning after
eating a canteen meal. Five hundred persons took this meal and during the next day and
the day following a total of 39 persons were reported as having symptoms of gastro-enteritis.
Faeces specimens from six of the seven affected persons whose homes were in Southall
revealed no pathogenic organisms. Samples were taken of turkey, stuffing, pork, ham and
gravy and all of these gave positive cultures of Staphylococcus Aureus. Vegetables gave
negative results.
Personal Hygiene
The free washing facilities in the public conveniences, which were brought into operation
in September, 1950, continued to be available throughout 1961. During that period
7,600 paper towels were issued free, and also 3,898 linen towels, which were provided at
a cost of 2d. per person.
Milk
The Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960 transferred licensing to the food and
drugs authority which for this area is the Middlesex County Council, (See report of Public
Control Officer, pages 39, 40 and 41). Thirty-two distributors of bottled milk were registered
under the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959.
Ice Cream
The Ice Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1947-1952. As there were no
manufacturers in the Borough, temperature control observations, as laid down in these
Regulations, were not required. Routine work was carried out under Article 4 of the 1947
Regulations to check the conservation of ice-cream in cinemas.
Food Sampling
The bacteriological analyses of 218 food samples, taken during the year, were carried
out by the Public Health Laboratory Service.
One hundred and fifty-eight of these specimens were ice-cream samples, covering ten
makes of ice-cream, and following bacteriological analyses the ice-creams were graded as
follows:—
Excellent 109
Satisfactory 43
Doubtful —
Unsatisfactory 6
These ice-cream figures were very much improved on those for 1960, and as our local
control is much more strict than elsewhere, being based on a bacterial count rather than
the rough chemical one, which is sufficient for statutory requirements, this is very satisfactory.
Forty-two samples were taken of imatation cream. The results of these were all
satisfactory.
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