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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Port of London]
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VII. FOOD INSPECTION.
The total amount of foodstuffs seized and condemned for human consumption
and either re conditioned or disposed of for animal consumption or for industrial
purposes under guarantee or destroyed was 937 Tons 14 cwts. 0 qrs.
3 lbs. as compared with 1,094 tons in 1947 and 630 tons in 1946.
The following is a summary showing the method of disposal of the foodstuffs seized:-
| Cattle food | 283 | 16 | 3 | 11 | 30.3 |
| Refining | 147 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 15.7 |
| Re conditioning | 41 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 4.3 |
| Industrial | 58 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 6.3 |
| Re-exported | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Buried | 350 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 34.3 |
| Burnt | 15 | 18 | 3 | 10 | 1.7 |
| TOTAL | 937 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 99.7 |
Damaged or overripe (at the time of entry into the Port) bananas,
oranges, tomatoes and similar soft fruits form the bulk of the foodstuffs
diverted for cattle food or buried.
There seems at present no method for the salvaging of overripe bananas
for human consumption. Such methods as might be applicable, e.g.
desiccation, are probably not regarded as a commercial or economic proposition®
Bananas must, of course, arrive in the Port green in order to
allow sufficient ripening time for distribution to the retail trade.
Consequently any incident which tends to delay the arrival of a banana
boat results in a comparatively heavy loss of the cargo.,
Loss of oranges is often due to flimsy packing and to damage to the
cases while loading or unloading. Tomatoes which are a particularly
frail cargo are generally stowed as deck cargo and are consequently
liable to damage or deterioration owing to weather conditions.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH (IMPORTED FOOD) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS, 1943.
A Statutory Instrument, 1948 No. 886 given under the respective
official seals of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Food, dated
27th April, 1948, roads as follows
In exercise of the powers conferred upon them by Section 8 of the
Food and Drugs Act, 1938 (a), and by the Transfer of Functions (Food
and Drugs) Order, 1948 (b) , and of all other powers them enabling, the
Minister of Health and the Minister of Food hereby jointly make the
following Regulations:-
1. The Public Health (imported Food) Regulations, 1937 (e) shall
be amended by inserting in paragraph (c) of the First Schedule thereto
(which Schedule specifies the kinds of oversea meat which may not be
imported into England or Wales for sale for human consumption) after
the word "meat" where it first appears the words "other than mutton
and lamb".
2® (l) These Regulations may be cited as the Public Health
(imported Food) Amendment Regulations, 1948, and these Regulations and
the Public Health (imported Food) Regulations, 1937, shall be construed
together and may be cited as the Public Health (imported Food)
Regulations 1937 and 1948.
(16)