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A CARGO OF APPLES FROM TASMANIA
In September a consignment of apples arrived from Tasmania in the West India Dock and on
inspection was found to be affected with a condition known as "Brown Heart". This term is a
colloquialism used to describe the appearance of necrotic or dead tissues inside apples resulting
from the cumulative effect of excess of carbon di-oxide gas. As apples ripen they breathe offmore
and more carbon di-oxide which should not be allowed to accumulate beyond certain minimal quantities
varying from approximately 3 or 4 to 10 per cent, according to the type of apple. Apples affected
with 'Brown Heart' are, to all outward appearances perfectly sound and it is not until the apple
is cut open that the condition is discovered. In view of the magnitude of the occurrence (including
a cargo valued at a quarter of a million sterling) and the complexity of the problem of
disposal, it was deemed necessary to prepare an account of more than usual length and detail,
as follows:—
18th July, 1955
The National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades reported by telephone that a cargo vessel
was due to arrive in the Port of London on Tuesday, 19th July, with a cargo of apples on board.
Discharge of part of the cargo at Hull and Hamburg revealed the apples to be in an unsatisfactory
condition and they requested that the Port Health Officers would make a careful examination.
It was ascertained that the vessel was due to berth in the West India Dock and your Port
Sanitary Inspector there, Mr. G. Dring, was informed accordingly.
19th July, 1955
The vessel having arrived and commenced discharging the cases of apples into No. 11 Warehouse,
West India Dock, it soon became apparent that something was wrong and Mr. Dring
served a Detention Notice covering the consignment of 110,430 cases of apples of various marks
and varieties, giving the reason for his action that the apples were affected with 'Brown Heart*.
Subsequently and after approximately 16,000 cases had been landed, the Port of London
Authority stopped the discharge of the apples mainly because of the lack of space ashore but
also because the different varieties of apples were inextricably mixed together as the result of
the way in which they had been stowed.
Mr. Dring reported the matter to your Medical Officer who at that stage thought it advisable to
condemn the whole consignment but on protest from the Shipping Company agreed to reconsider
his decision the following day in consultation with their representatives.
21st July, 1955
Your Medical Officer invited representatives of the National Federation of Fruit and Potato
Trades to call at the Central Office for a conference. When the respreentatives arrived, samples
of apples were submitted and a number of varieties of them were cut. There was general agreement
that the apples showed a very high percentage affected with "Brown Heart" in practically
all varieties, the exceptions being the "Granny Smith" and "Democrat" which, although being
affected, seemed to be less so than other varieties.
In addition Mr. Dring reported three varieties in which he had not been able to detect any marked
affection, namely "Rome Beauty", "King Pippin" and "Stone Pippin".
As a result of this discussion the following action was agreed upon :—
(a) That "Rome Beauty", "King Pippin" and "Stone Pippin" varieties would be released
unconditionally.
(b) That "Granny Smith" and "Democrat" varieties would receive further investigation, and
(c) That all other varieties would be destroyed.
Following this your Medical Officer received, as agreed, representatives of the Shipping
Company. A further discussion took place, samples again being exhibited. A number of counter
suggestions were put forward to which your Medical Officer could not agree and he finally persuaded
the Shipping Company to accept the procedure already approved by the representatives of
the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades.
A letter setting out the above decision was forwarded to the forty-two merchants concerned.
22nd July, 1955
Mr. Dring reported to your Medical Officer that a Kentish firm had made an offer to dispose of
the whole of the apples for making into cider because the poor apple harvest in Kent this year
had meant that they were in exceptionally short supply of apples for cider making.
Your Medical Officer on hearing of this offer made enquiries as to whether cider from apples
affected with 'Brown Heart' would have any ill effects on human beings who drank the cider.
His enquiries eventually led him to consult T.G. Tomkins Esq., Superintendent of the Ditton
Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Professor T. Wallace,
Honorary Director of the Agriculture and Horticultural Research Station, Bristol, both of whom
strongly approved your Medical Officer's proposal to release the apples for cider making.
Your Medical Officer then enquired of the Medical Officer of Health of the district in which
the premises of the cider firm were situated and was assured by him that he knew the firm to be
reliable but that in the event of the apples being released to them he would keep their disposal
under supervision.
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