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69
FOOD
The protection of the food supplied to the inhabitants of the Borough remains one of the
most important tasks with which the Public Health Inspector is charged. This control is applied
at all stages from import, in the cases of food brought into the Borough in sealed containers not
examined at the port of entry, through all the numerous preparation and distribution processes
which exist to the final point of supply. This protection extends not only to the inhabitants of the
Borough but to the millions who use London Airport or who work in or visit the district.
MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
The safety and quality of milk is rigidly controlled by the various statutory requirements
designed to ensure that milk is only sold, handled or distributed by persons licensed for that
purpose and the milk itself is processed in accordance with the requirements relating to the specific
description under which it is sold.
Dairy Farms
The control of any food supply begins at the source of production. There are 15 dairy farms
within the Borough, the milk from which, with 2 exceptions is sent for processing. Milk is supplied
direct to the consumer without any form of heat treatment from 2 of these farms, in one case the
supply being to members of the Jewish faith. Untreated milk from a farm outside the Borough is
also retailed. Hygiene on the farm is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food who grant a licence for the production of milk. Samples are obtained by this department
and examined for milk fat and non-fat solids in this department's own laboratory where tests may
also be carried out to determine the presence or absence of added water. Examinations are carried
out by the Public Health Laboratory service for the presence of antibiotics (T.T.C. test) and
Brucella abortus. Both these tests are of considerable importance to the consumer. Antibiotics are
increasingly used on the farm and, while strict precautions are issued regarding their use, the
possibility of a human error resulting in failure to reject contaminated milk is ever present. Brucella
abortus is destroyed by heat treatment and the chief danger to health lies in its presence in milk
consumed by farm workers and their families before heat treatment or through its presence in milk
of "untreated" designation. Any milks found to be positive following the milk ring screening test
are submitted to further check by guinea-pig inoculation. In the case of a positive reaction the
farmer is advised accordingly and if necessary steps are taken to ensure that all the milk is subjected
to heat treatment.

The positive ring tests were possibly from cows which had been inoculated against Brucellosis.
Processing Plants
Milk is pasteurized and bottled at two plants within the Borough.
Both are regularly inspected
and samples of milk and washed bottles together with churn rinses are taken and submitted to
the Public Health Laboratory for examination, as a check of the effectiveness of the process and
the efficiency of the cleaning methods.