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
Hounslow 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hounslow]
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Preparation or manufacture of 129
potted pressed pickled or
preserved food and preparation
or manufacture of sausages
Contraventions of the appropriate regulations
were mainly dealt with informally but the health
committee instructed that legal proceedings be
instituted in 5 cases and fines totaling
£125.15 were imposed ,
Food Inspection
Meat and poultry inspections
There are no slaughter houses or poultry
processing establishments within the borough
Unsound food
Unsound food which is surrendered to or seized by the public health inspectors is destroyed in a Greater London Council incinerator. The following amounts of food were dealt with during the year
| tons | cwt. | lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcase meat from retail shops | 2 | 15 | 68 |
| Cooked meat and meat products | 3 | 24 | |
| Canned meats | 6 | 19 | 27 |
| Fresh fish | 3 | 82 | |
| Fresh fruit and vegetables | 43 | 17 | 63 |
| Frozen foods due to cabinet | 41 | 9 | 68 |
| break down Other foods | 55 | 11 | 38 |
| Total | 151 | 0 | 84 |
During the year 124 complaints were made
to the department, alleging unsoundness or
foreign bodies in the food, All cases were fully
investigated with the vendors and manufacturers.
Most cases were dealt with informally but
where the circumstances warranted firmer
action they were reported to the health
committee. Legal proceedings were taken in
13 cases which resulted in fines totaling £293.
Sampling of food and drugs
Samples of food and drugs were taken oy the public health inspectors either formally or informally and suomitted to the public analyst. 166 formal samples and 435 informal samples were submitted together with 25 specimens from members of the public. Of the samples sent for analysis the following results were given
| Total samples | irregularities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informal | Formal | Private | ||
| Milk | 6 | 4 | 4 | |
| Other | 320 | 165 | 16 | 64 (including |
| foods | 24 labelling) | |||
| Drugs | 109 | 1 | 11 (including | |
| Others | - | - | 6 | 10 labelling) |
The Public Analyst reported that all
samples other than those listed under irregularities
were genuine and complied with all
relevant Acts, Orders and Regulations,
Details of the irregular samples together with
the action taken by the department.
Food samples found to be deficient of legal
standards.
Twenty-four such samples were reported,
details of which are set out below
A steak pie was found to have a total meat
content of 2l% deficient of the legal minimum
of 25% The manufacturers attention was
drawn to the deficiency and formal samples
were taken These did not reveal a similar
deficiency'.
A sample of Pork with Egg was found to
have a meat content of 74% deficient of the
legal minimum of 95% Regulations permit the
description of Egg Loaf to be applied to
products containing this meat content and this
description was adopted by the manufacturers.
Four samples of cordials were found upon
analysis to contain cyclamic acid , the use of
which was prohibited with effect from 1st
January 1970. The manufacturers arranged for
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