Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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35
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD AND
FOOD PREMISES.
The work entailed in the inspection and supervision of food
continues to show a steady increase and calls for unabated labour
and vigilance on the part of the Food Inspectors, who have to keep
pace with new methods of production and treatment and with the
ever increasing number of orders and regulations applying to the
standards, preparation or treatment of various foodstuffs.
The first part of the year saw a continuance of war conditions
with resultant damage to food and occasional interruption of the
food distributing services. As a result, help had frequently to be
given to retailers and manufacturers to deal with their damaged
goods and premises and, wherever possible, to enable them to restart
their businesses with the least possible delay, always having
as the main object in view the effort to salvage the maximum
amounts of food for human consumption.
Transport difficulties arising from shortage of labour or disputes
during the year also caused wastage of perishable food, but
in most cases prompt action in dealing with the matter made it
possible for the unsound food to be used for animal feeding meals
or for the production of fertilisers, and only a very small quantity
of unsound food was destroyed as totally unfit for any further use.
The total weights of food condemned or surrendered, including commodities damaged by enemy action, during the year were:—
Tons | Cwts. | Qrs. | Lbs. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bacon | — | — | 2 | 11 |
Bread, cakes and pastries | — | 4 | 1 | 7 |
Butter, lard and margarine | — | 1 | 0 | 11 |
Cereals | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
Cheese | — | 1 | 1 | 13½ |
Eggs and dried egg powder | — | 3 | 3 | 14 |
Fish | 7 | 8 | 1 | 27 |
Flour | — | 17 | 3 | 24 |
Fruit and Vegetables | 1 | 15 | 2 | 1½ |
Jam | — | 6 | 2 | 22 |
Meat, poultry and game | 5 | 13 | 2 | 11 |
Oil, frying | — | 1 | 4 | 20 |
Pickles and sauces | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
Sugar | — | 19 | 0 | 1 |
Sweets | — | 6 | 3 | 12½ |
Tea and coffee | — | 1 | 0 | 22¼ |
Miscellaneous | — | 5 | 0 | 20 |
Total | 20 | 14 | 1 | 9¾ |