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
City of London 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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73
PUBLIC HEALTH (FOREIGN MEAT) REGULATIONS, 1908.
During the year, Notices were served under Articles III. (5), IV. (1) of the above-mentioned Regulations, for the exportation of the following meat:—
| Date of Arrival. 1923. | Name of Vessel. | Where from. | Where lying. | Description and quantity of Meat in respect of which Notices were served. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 12 | ss. "Para" | Brazil | Royal Albert Dock | 241 cases legs pork. |
| 257 cases neck meat. | ||||
| 95 cases bellies. | ||||
| 344 cases hog meat. | ||||
| 24 cases hams. | ||||
| Mar. 19 | ss. "Ionicstar" | Zarate | Ditto | 88 cases hog livers. |
| 7 crates hog kidneys. | ||||
| April 5 | ss. "Maimoa" | New Zealand | Ditto | 7 headless pig carcases. |
| July 13 | ss. "Saxonia" | New York | King George V. Dock | 100 cases pork trimmings. |
| 100 cases blade meat. | ||||
| 22 | ss. "President Monroe" | Ditto | Tilbury Dock | 93 cases pork trimmings. |
| Sep. 24 | ss. "President Adams" | Ditto | Ditto | 10 boxes pork trimmings. |
| Dec. 5 | Ditto | Ditto | Ditto | 1 case pork trimmings. |
FOOD INSPECTION.
The Regulations issued by the Local Government Board (now the Ministry of
Health) under the Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, 1907, were carried
out in the Port of London, and resulted in 1,749 tons 9 cwts. 0 qrs. 19 lbs. of Unsound
Food being destroyed or disposed of in such a manner as to prevent it being
used for human consumption.
Exceptions are shown in the disposal of some of the goods for the manufacture
of confectionery, distillation, refining and by exportation. The goods for the manufacture
of confectionery were condensed milk, which had either undergone a yeast
fermentation or had been returned to this country owing to "caramelisation"
and discolouration. The deleterious qualities were removed in the process of remanufacture,
and thus the use of a considerable quantity of valuable food material
was retained.
The goods for distillation consist usually of dried fruits, e.g., dates, prunes,
raisins and sultanas, and the material disposed of for the purposes of refining
comprised damaged sugar and loose sugar swept up from the floors of warehouses,
etc.
Disposal of the material was carried out as follows, only those goods which could not be used for some useful purpose being actually destroyed.
| Tons. | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiled down (recovery of fat, &c.) | 144 | 19 | 3 | 23 |
| Cattle and Poultry Food | 658 | 5 | 0 | 20 |
| Re-manufacture (Confectionery, &c.) | 10 | 1 | 9 | 14 |
| Extraction of Caffeine | 10 | 17 | 1 | 26 |
| Distillation | 37 | 4 | 3 | 27 |
| Refining | 363 | 13 | 1 | 16 |
| Exportation | 65 | 14 | 1 | 12 |
| Destroyed—Buried | 405 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| Burned | 55 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Total weight | 1,751 | 9 | 0 | 19 |
Beef.—The total quantity of frozen and chilled beef seized by your officers
and disposed of as unfit for human consumption, was 341 quarters and crops,
87 bags and a quantity of trimmings and pieces, the total weight of which was
30 tons 18 cwts. 1 qr. 2 lbs., as compared with 51 tons 5 cwts. 0 qrs. 25 lbs. in the
preceding year.
The largest quantity seized ex any vessel was 240 quarters, weighing 15 tons
18 cwts. 0 qrs. 17 lbs.
Mutton.—The total quantity of frozen mutton seized by your officers and
disposed of as unfit for human consumption was 2,302 carcases, 2,878 pieces,
53 bags and a quantity of trimmings, the total weight being 84 tons 16 cwts. 3 qrs.
23 lbs., against 52 tons 11 cwts. 2 qrs. 2 lbs. in the preceding year.
The largest quantity seized ex any vessel was 564 carcases, weighing 13 tons
16 cwts. 1 qr. 0 lbs.
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