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
Malden and Coombe 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Malden & Coombe]
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21
FOOD SUPPLY.
As far as possible, watch is kept on premises where foodstuffs
are prepared or sold, which includes slaughterhouses,
butchers' and fishmongers' shops, bakehouses, dairies, etc.
No animals were killed for sale in local slaughterhouses
during the year.
The following unfit foodstuffs were voluntarily surrendered and destroyed or handed over for salvage
| Evaporated or Condensed Milk | 192 tins |
| Jam and Marmalade | 37 tins |
| Beans | 28 tins |
| Tinned Vegetables | 85 tins |
| Brawn | 7 tins |
| Salad Cream | 31 bottles |
| Tinned Fruit | 42 tins |
| Beef Loaf, Luncheon Meat, etc. | 20 tins |
| Soup | 29 tins |
| Coffee | ½ lb. |
| Figs | 164 lbs. |
| Meat and Vegetable Stew | 3 tins |
| Malted Milk | 1 bottle |
| Fish | 82 tins |
| Toffees | 4 packets |
| Wet Fish | 160 stone |
| Lamb | 59 lbs. |
| Stewing Steak | 19½ lbs. |
| Pickles | 28 jars |
| Dried Egg | 1 tin |
| Spaghetti | 4 tins |
| Meat and Fish Paste | 4 jars |
| Cheese | 7 lbs. |
| Barley Flakes | 16 lbs. |
| Eggs | 69 |
| Danish Pork | 1 tin |
| Bacon | 1 tin |
| Potted Meat | 2 tins |
| Beef | 42 lbs. |
| Mutton | 20 lbs. |
| Calves Head | 12½ lbs. |
| Corned Beef | 1 tin |
A number of complaints regarding foodstuffs were received during
the year, some of which are worth recording.
(1) A piece of cheese (Canadian) when cut was found to contain
a piece of glass. The glass was embedded well in the interior and,
apparently, introduced during manufacture abroad.
(2) A complaint was received that some iced cakes purchased
locally were thought to contain mice 'dirts'. The cakes were sent
to the Public Analyst who, however, reported that what was thought to
be the offending substance were numerous pieces of brown or blackish
matter which proved to consist of finely chopped raisins or similar dried
fruit. There was no abnormal dirt or other foreign matter.