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
Richmond upon Thames 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]
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34
SECTION E.—INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Food Inspection.
The following foodstuffs, found to be unfit for human consumption, were surrendered by the owners and either salvaged for animal food or destroyed.
| Articles | Tons | Cwts. | Qrs. | lbs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish | - | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| Flour and Flour Confectionery | — | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Fruit and Vegetables | — | — | 2 | — |
| Meat and Moat Products | - | 7 | 1 | 18 |
| Milk and Milk Products | - | - | 2 | - |
| Sugar and Sugar Confectionery | — | — | — | 13 |
| Tinned Goods (all classes) | — | 16 | 2 | 5 |
| 1 | 9 | 1 | 12 |
Whenever possible condemned food is salvaged to be used for
animal feeding, but in all other cases, the food is destroyed by burning
at the Refuse destructor.
Thirty-one complaints, alleging that food had been sold in a
condition unfit for human consumption, were received during the
year and received full investigation, and in fifteen cases reports were
made to the Health Committee. Warning letters were sent to
offenders in twelve instances, and legal proceedings were taken in two
cases under Section 2, Food and Drugs Act 1955. Both cases related
to the same firm, and were heard on the 23rd July, 1956, when in
respect of a jam sandwich containing a metal screw and a meringue
containing a wire nail, the defendants were fined £20 and a total of
5 guineas costs.