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Burnt
913 cartons and cases and approximately 14,540 cans fruits, juices, pulps, vegetables,
meats and fish (burst, blown, leaky, crushed and pierced), 121 cartons, boxes and cases and
a quantity of loose collected oranges (wasty and dock water damaged), 54 tons bananas and
banana waste (wasty), 3 tons 15 cwts. ships' rejected stores, 9 tons 7 cwts. grapefruits (wasty),
316 cases and bags and a quantity of loose collected onions (wasty), 8 bags flour (wet damaged),
136 cases elderberries (old stock and weevily), 139 cartons chocolate (wet damaged), 282 boxes
figs (decomposed and out of condition), 21 boxes apples (dock water damaged), 567 bags coconuts
(green and putrid), 21 cases tea (dock water damaged), 461 crates and cases tomatoes
(infested and wasty), 1 cask red pepper and 3 casks sauerkraut (out of condition), 40 cases
hazelnut kernels (infested).
Boiling down
15 cartons lard (crushed and dirty), quantity carcase meat and offals (various reasons for
condemnation).
Buried
1,254 tons bananas and banana waste (wasty), 1,750 bundles prunes (wet and mouldy —
seized and destroyed under Magistrates' order), 1,005 cartons and cases and approximately 5,758
cans fruits, juices, pulps, vegetables, meats and fish (burst, blown, leaky and crushed), 347
boxes apples, oranges and pears (oil damaged, dock water damaged, wasty), 14,370 bags onions
(wasty), 239 tons potatoes (wasty), 4 casks chutney (dirty), 65 boxes grapefruits (wasty), 5 cases
and 187 bags tea (loose collected, dock water damaged, sweepings, wet damage, oil damage),
† Animal Feeding
1,554 bags flour (ships' rejected stores, dirty, out of condition, wet damaged), 39% tons
ships' rejected stores, l½ tons ships' rejected stores meat, 11 bags haricot bean sweepings, 21
tons bananas, 6,737 packages potatoes (wasty), 800 fores beef (mis-shapen and tainted), 60 bags
onions (wasty), 20 bags pea sweepings, 698 half bags beetroots (wasty).
† Other districts
1,241 bags coconuts (decomposing — for sorting), 31 bags hazelnut kernels sweepings (for
sorting), 21,895 cases apples (lead and arsenic spray contaminated — see separate report), 30
barrels herrings (slight decomposition — for sorting), 8 cartons butter (dock water damaged), 305
cartons lard (damaged for sorting), 36 tons meat (dirty and iced), 588 bags onions (wasty — for
sorting), 113 bags rice and a quantity of loose collected rice (dirty — for cleaning), 50 cases tea
(wet damaged), 280 cartons and 21 cases canned red peppers (blowing — for sorting), 68 cartons
canned cherries (blowing — for sorting, 601 cases canned apricots and apricot pulp (blowing —
for sorting).
† Refining
3,575 bags sugar sweepings and damaged sugar, 50 tons (approx.) sugar salvaged from
sunken barge.
† Manufacturing etc. purposes
122 bags flour (rain water damaged), 224 bags and cases tea, (dock water damaged, loose
collected and sweepings), 105 cartons and cases and a quantity of loose collected lard (dirty),
99 bags shelled almonds (paint powder damaged), 86 casks tallow.
Re-export
10 cartons canned herring 'tid bits' (prohibited preservative), 48 bags nutmegs (old and dry).
Reconditioning
19 crates and cases butter (dock water damaged)
N.B. All items under headings marked t were released with agreement and under supervision
of local Medical Officers of Health.
DOCK STRIKE - PERISHABLE FOODS
On Monday, 30th May 1958, the stoppage in the Pool of London still was not complete and
working continued in some docks in varying degrees, thus providing an opportunity for the removal
of as much perishable cargo as possible.
During the first week of the strike a complete survey of all perishable cargoes was made by
the Inspectors with an assessment of the degree of spoliation risk, and constant surveillance
was exercised on all perishable cargoes not stored in refrigerated conditions, a detailed daily
report being made in respect of each dock.
Arrangements were made for the condemnation by a Justice, if necessary, of any cargoes
condemned by your Inspectors as unfit for human consumption.
Contact was made with the Docks Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union who
promised to co-operate in the removal of unsound food by calling for volunteer labour for the
task, and an agreed form of condemnation was issued to your Inspectors, a copy of which was to
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