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
Hillingdon 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
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were found to be infested with Ephestia Cautella (Tropical Warehouse Moth) and unfit for human
consumption. Proceedings were taken under section 9 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955. The
defendant company accepted liability for the sale but pleaded a warranty against the manufacturers
under section 115 of the same Act. However, as the product was manufactured in Scotland, the
case against the defendant was dismissed under section 114 and the matter was referred by the
magistrates to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland. To date no further action has been reported.
This is the second case against this particular company which has been referred to the Scottish
authorities under section 114 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955. The previous case concerned mice
droppings in similar bags of sponge mixture and on that occasion no further action was taken after
the case had been referred to Scotland. It is regrettable that as the law exists at present serious
offences can be committed without the imposition of any penalty.
The complaints are classified in the following table:
| Food | Foreign Matter | Mould | Other | Type of Foreign Body |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon | 1 | 3 | Maggotts | |
| Beer | 1 | |||
| Beverages | 1 | Moth | ||
| Biscuits | 1 | 1 | ||
| Bread | 26 | 14 | 10 | Dirt, Oil, Cockroach, Fruit stone, fly, brawn, dough, husks, wood, grease, gauze, carbonised dough, sacking, string, cigarette end, rubber, knife blade |
| Butter | 1 | String | ||
| Cereals | 1 | Weevil | ||
| Cheese | 1 | 3 | 4 | Tin foil |
| Chocolate spread | 1 | |||
| Cornish pasty | 1 | 1 | Bovine Cheek | |
| Confectionery | 6 | 3 | 7 | Hair, fruit stalk, maggott, plastic insect |
| Cream | 5 | |||
| Eggs | 2 | 2 | ||
| Fish | 2 | 2 | Parasites | |
| Fruit canned | 2 | 2 | Crystals, fly | |
| Fruit/dessert | 2 | 2 | ||
| Instant Whip | 2 | |||
| Margarine | 1 | Bead | ||
| Meat/Meat products | 4 | 8 | 5 | Screw, hair, spider, skin |
| Milk | 7 | 9 | Bones, glass, rusty filings, dirt | |
| Preserves | 1 | |||
| Sausages | 5 | 2 | 3 | Bristle, nail, bone, beetle, metal tag |
| Sausage roll | 1 | Finger dressing | ||
| Vegetables | 4 | 3 | 4 | Worm, beetle, slug, vegetable |
| debris | ||||
| Yoghourt | 1 | 2 | ||
| Other Foods | 8 | 3 | 21 | Insects, carbonised matter, crystals, bone, dirt, grit, hair |
| Total | 72 | 43 | 87 |
Total: 202 Food Complaints
70