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
Sutton 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton]
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Legal actions were authorised in regard to sixteen of the complaints received and fines
and costs totalling £465 were imposed.
2.4 UNSOUND FOOD SURRENDERED OR CONDEMNED
Food is subject to routine inspection at manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing
stages. The majority of the items surrendered for destruction are examined as a result
of requests from the management of food businesses.
The following quantities of food found to be unsound, diseased or unwholesome and unfit for human consumption were surrendered and destroyed:-
| lbs | lbs | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic Drinks | 16 | Ice Cream | 225 |
| Beverages | 30 | Meat (fresh - home killed) | 395 |
| Cereals | 191 | Meat (fresh - imported) | 1,424 |
| Cheese | 85 | Meat Canned | 2,076 |
| Condiments | 16 | Meat Cooked | 202 |
| Confectionary Flour | 398 | Meat Products | 225 |
| Confectionary Sugar | 66 | Milk | 59 |
| Cream | 56 | Offal | 277 |
| Drugs | 1 | Other Canned Foods (e.g. fish) | 556 |
| Fats and Oils | 910 | Other Foods | 334 |
| Fish (wet) | 387 | Preserves | 309 |
| Frozen Food (cabinet breakdown) | 12,691 | Sauce | 214 |
| Frozen Food (general) | 237 | Sausages | 19 |
| Soup | 35 | ||
| Fruit (fresh) | 60 | Vegetables (fresh) | 192 |
| Fruit (canned) | 5,174 | Vegetables (canned) | 405 |
| Fruit Juice | 984 | ||
| 21,302 | 6,947 |
2.5 CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD AND DRUGS
During the year five hundred and thirty-four samples were taken for chemical
analysis and their constituents were examined in relation to statutory standards and
many other factors, including a check that harmful preservatives and colouring
matters are not being used. The sampling programme were often adjusted to arrange
for checks on food stuffs which have been the subject of complaint. Fourteen
formal and twenty-one informal samples were reported by the Public Analyst to be
unsatisfactory. Further investigations were carried out in respect of each of these
reports and details of the most significant cases are set out below