Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
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Food Complaints
Following a reduction in 1970 the number of food complaints resumed its upward trend
during the year, being 192 as against 175 for 1970, 181 for 1969, 155 for 1968 and 114 for 1967.
The complaints received are classified in the following tables:
The complaints received are classified in the following tables:
Food | Foreign matter | Mould | Other | Type of foreign body |
---|---|---|---|---|
Milk | 4 | 3 | 3 | Metal spring; dirty bottles |
Butter | 1 | 1 | ||
Cheese | 2 | 5 | 2 | Glass; fly |
Bread | 13 | 21 | 4 | Mice droppings; wasp; maggot; grease dough; deposits; beetle |
Bacon | 1 | 1 | Maggots | |
Canned meat | 4 | 4 | ||
Cooked meat and meat products | 3 | 9 | 20 | Nylon thread; bristle; fly |
Meat pies | 1 | 1 | Insect | |
Fruit canned | 1 | 1 | 2 | Insect |
Fish | 6 | 8 | Worms; fly; matchstick | |
Vegetables | 2 | 3 | 3 | Snail; plant cells |
Cereals | 3 | 1 | Wood lice; rodent droppings; insect | |
Confectionery | 7 | 4 | 4 | Beetle; staple; mosquito; hair; spider |
Other foods | 13 | 6 | 15 | Rubber tube; ants; staples; rubber bands; maggots; flies; tin; nails; glass; dirt; grit |
Total | 56 | 57 | 79 |
Total: 192 food complaints.
Details of six prosecutions taken as a result of food complaints are set out in the following table. Further prosecutions are awaiting court hearings at the time of writing the report.
Offence | Statute | Trade of Defendant | Fine | Costs | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Use of a dirty milk bottle | Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959, Regulation 27 | Wholesale Dairyman | £20 | £9 | £29 |
2. Use of a dirty milk bottle | do. | do. | £25 | £7 | £32 |
3. Foreign matter in milk | Section 2, Food and Drugs Act, 1955 | do. | £10 | £5 | £15 |
4. Foreign matter in milk | do. | do. | £50 | £10 | £60 |
5. Selling mouldy cake | do. | Grocer | £30 | £6 | £36 |
6. Selling bread containing wood splinters | do. | Bakers | £15 | £15 | |
7. Selling sour cream | do. | Wholesale Dairyman | £20 | £5 | £25 |
8. Selling a mouldy cream dessert | Section 8, Food and Drugs Act, 1955 | do. | £40 | £5 | £45 |