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(32)
Canned Milk. A complaint was made concerning the condition of milk in a
tin of evaporated milk. Apart from a slightly sour smell, it appeared to
be perfectly sound, but was referred to the Public Analyst and the
manufacturers who both confirmed that the milk was satisfactory.
Ham. A complaint was received concerning the unsoundness of ham purchased
in a sealed wrapper and on submittion to the bacteriologist, no abnormality
was found.
Prawns. A small quantity of prawns were brought to the Public Health
Department on the grounds that they were unsound. On examination they
were regarded as being in 'border line' condition. The stock in the shop
concerned was inspected and the manager was advised to dispose of twenty
pints.
Red Plums. On opening a can of red plums, the purchaser was surprised to
find a wasp. The company concerned was advised and the complaint was
investigated by them.
ICE CREAM
Fifty samples were submitted to the methylene blue test.
The methylene blue test does not provide a guarantee of safety
but it does serve as a simple and practical method of grading ice-cream
according to its degree of bacterial cleanliness and samples which
consistently fail to reach grades I or II give reasonable grounds to
indicate defects in manufacture or handling requiring further investigation.
The certificate giving the results of testing has the following note
appended:
"Owing to the numerous factors governing the hygienic quality
of ice-cream it is unwise to pay too much attention to the
bacteriological results of any single sample. Judgement should
be based rather on a series of samples. It is suggested over a
six monthly period 50 per cent of vendors samples should fall into
grade I, 80 per cent into grades I or II, not mare than 20 per cent
into grade III and none into grade IV".
The following table shows the results of samples taken since
1947:-