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
Merton 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton]
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Food Inspection.
Unsound food surrendered to the Health Department is destroyed
at the Council's refuse disposal works.
Excluding meat condemned at the slaughterhouse, the following is a list of unsound food surrendered during 1965:—
| Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned meat | 41 | 3 | 9 |
| Canned soup | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Canned fish | 2 | — | 16 |
| Canned vegetables | 9 | 2 | 21 |
| Canned fruit | 25 | — | 14 |
| Canned puddings | — | — | 14 |
| Canned milk/cream | 5 | — | 24 |
| Miscellaneous cans | 24 | 3 | 20 |
| Meat, bacon, poultry | 18 | 1 | 9 |
| Meat pies, sausages | — | — | 14 |
| Meat and fish paste | — | 2 | 5 |
| Fish | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Fruit and vegetables | — | 3 | 19 |
| Fruit and vegetable juices | 2 | — | 12 |
| Flour, bread, cereals, biscuits | 1 | 2 | 20 |
| Spaghetti | — | — | 27 |
| Pie fillings | — | 2 | 18 |
| Sugar, jam, syrup | — | 1 | 9 |
| Salt, pickles, salad cream | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Frozen food | 22 | 1 | 23 |
| Beverages | 4 | 2 | 7 |
171 cwts. 2 qrs. 5 lbs.
The number of complaints received during the year regarding
unsound food was 210. These included references to extraneous
matter in food and a detailed investigation was made in each case.
Informal action was taken in the majority of cases.
The complaints of extraneous matter in food included the
following:—
Foreign bodies found in loaves of bread—matchsticks (2);
carbon and grease (7); nail; poppy seeds; fly; mould in wrapped
bread; mould on loaf; metal; pellet of dirt; dried fruit
skin; wheat bran.
Fruit fly larvae in botde of milk.
Solidified polyester resin in bottle of milk.
Bird dropping in botde of milk.
Maggot in botde of milk.
Mould in can of stewed steak.
Mould in can of corned beef.
Mould in pork pie (3).
Insect in can of pears.
Wasp in can of apricots.
Beetle in can of strawberries.
Fly in can of oranges.
Glass rod in jar of marmalade.
Slug in packet of frozen peas.
Smoked cigarette in potato crisps.
Caterpillar in can of broad beans.
Jute fibre in Dundee cake.
jute fibre in marshmallow pastry.
54