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81
VII— FOOD INSPECTION.
The facts that the Port of London extends over such a wide area and that
Foodstuffs may be landed at almost any point makes it impossible to divide the Staff
strictly into Food Inspectors and Sanitary Inspectors. There are certain parts of
the Docks where the nature and quantity of the Foodstuffs landed are such that
a whole-time Food Inspector is essential, but there are many districts where the
food inspection and sanitary inspection must be combined. For this reason every
Sanitary Inspector in the Port of London is required to qualify as a Food Inspector,
and at the present time every member of the Staff of Inspectors is qualified in both
respects.
So great are the food imports in London that it is obviously impossible for
everything to come under inspection. At the same time, the control is greater than
might at first appear possible, for Inspectors have not only the information contained
in the Customs Bill of Entry at their disposal, but, from the fact that they are constantly
on the Docks, they have many sources of information open to them, and they receive
the assistance of Customs Officers and others. From experience also, they know
what has proved consistently sound and what needs their careful attention. They
recognise what is new, and therefore to be carefully examined. Above all, they
receive every assistance from the importers, who do not wish to put food of even
doubtful quality on the market. There is, however, another way in which a Port
Sanitary Authority may act if, from their own observation or from reports received
from other Sanitary Authorities, it appears necessary to exercise complete control
over any particular class of imported food.
All imports of such foods can be detained within the district of the Authority
for examination by their Inspectors. Such action is from time to time taken, but in
order to avoid complete dislocation of the trade concerned it is usual to allow
consignments to leave the Docks, on the understanding that they will be held for
examination by the Medical Officers of Health of the districts of destination, who
must have previously expressed their willingness to receive and take responsibility
for the inspection of the goods. This was the principle put into practice in regard
to imported Mutton and Lamb during the latter part of 1928, and was continued
until June, 1929, when the improvement resulting from the institution of examination
in the countries of origin was so marked as to make it possible to reduce the routine
examination to 10 per cent.
Importers realise that it is in their interests to attain a high standard of
examination at the source, and, in addition, to have goods so prepared and packed
as to facilitate examination here. Thus, Ox Tongues arrive dressed so as to have
the lymphatic glands easily accessible. Pig carcases have the submaxillary glands
incised and drawn forward in an exposed position, so that no difficulty is experienced
in examining the carcases in the frozen state. Imported Offal is packed with a view
to rapid inspection, as is also boneless Veal, in which care is taken to expose the
serous membranes.
As regards Canned Goods, a considerable proportion is submitted for examination
by expert examiners, on behalf of the merchants. From experience, the Port Sanitary
Authority have complete confidence in this examination, which is of great assistance
to their Inspectors.
When diseased or unsound food is discovered it is almost invariably voluntarily
surrendered, and it is very rare indeed that it is necessary for the Port Sanitary
Authority to go through the formal procedure of seizure and condemnation by
a Magistrate.
The majority of Foodstuffs condemned as unfit for human consumption is not
destroyed, but is used for some industrial purpose, such as the manufacture of poultry
food, soap, grease, &c. In every case the Port Sanitary Authority obtain guarantees
and require to be satisfied that there is no danger that such condemned food, when
it leaves their district, will be sold elsewhere for human food. Thus it comes about
that, though such vast quantities of food are imported, and the number of Inspectors
is few, the amount of food which goes into consumption in an unsatisfactory condition
is infinitesimal.