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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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32
PUBLIC HEALTH (PRESERVATIVES, &c., IN FOOD) REGULATIONS,
1925 TO 1927.
For action under these Regulations, reference is directed to the list of foodstuffs
submitted for analysis.
FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS ACT, 1926.
No samples were taken under this Act during the year.
(2) SHELLFISH.
PUBLIC HEALTH (SHELLFISH) REGULATIONS, 1915.
ORDERS OF NOVEMBER, 1916.
In November, 1916, the Port of London Sanitary Authority made an Order under
the Public Health (Shellfish) Regulations prohibiting the distribution of shellfish from
layings on the North side of the Estuary of the Thames unless the said shellfish have
been relaid in pure water for a period of at least four weeks, except that cockles may
be sold after sterilization by steaming under pressure for at least six minutes and
winkles after boiling in water for at least fifteen minutes.
During the year it was reported that fishermen were collecting mussels from the
foreshore of Leigh Creek, but on enquiry it was ascertained that the mussels were,
before sale, steamed under pressure in a manner similar to that prescribed for cockles.
The Ministry of Health have made Regulations under the Public Health (Regulations
as to Food) Act, 1907, relative to shellfish layings in certain other districts which
permit the sale of mussels after sterilization by steaming under pressure. It was,
therefore, proposed to amend the Order of the Port of London Sanitary Authority
so as to permit the steaming of mussels, but it was found that the Public Health
(Shellfish) Regulations, 1915, do not provide for the amendment of an Order made
thereunder, but only for its withdrawal "if at any time the Local Authority are
satisfied that the conditions of the layings have so changed that any Order may be
withdrawn without prejudice to the public health."
Conditions certainly do not justify withdrawal of the Order, and it must therefore
remain in its present form until the Ministry of Health amend or repeal the Public
Health (Shellfish) Regulations, 1915.
(3) SAMPLES OF FOOD EXAMINED DURING THE YEAR.
(a) Bacteriologist—
| Date. | Sample. | Analyst's Report. | Action taken. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930. | |||
| May 9 | Potted Meat and Fish. | "The preparation was put up in a glass pot with a tin lid and rubber sealing. The surface of the paste was greyish in colour as compared with the depth, which was pinkish. There was no foul odour. | Consignment released. |
| "Films prepared from both the surface and the depth shbwed very few bacteria. | |||
| "Ærobic plate cultures made from the surface and the depth both showed very few colonies of the same organisms as follows:— | |||
| "Ærobic spore-bearing bacilli. | |||
| "Staphylococci. | |||
| "Anaerobic meat broth cultures remained sterile. Although the material is not completely sterile, there are no bacteria of a putrefactive nature present or any likely to cause disease. In my opinion the paste is fit for human consumption as regards bacteriological content." | |||
| (b) Analyst— | |||
| Mar. 3 | Imported Sweets | No poisonous metals or prohibited colouring matter could be detected. | Consignment released. |
| May 2 | Canned Spinach | "This sample, on analysis, was found to contain Copper (Cu) to the extent of 0.04 per cent., equivalent to 10.9 grains of crystallised Copper Sulphate per pound, and, in addition, Tin to the extent of 3.5 grains per pound of spinach." | Consignment destroyed. |