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other difficulties involving delay in delivery, the work of the
inspectors was considerably increased, particularly as regards
the more perishable foods.
Food substitutes introduced to the market to take the place
of articles in short supply continued to provide an opportunity for
some traders to attempt to exploit the public with worthless frauds
with specious labels. Licensing of substitutes by the Ministry of
Food brought a measure of control, but from a public health aspect
the method of licensing was not entirely satisfactory. In some
cases licensed commodities were held not to comply with the Food
and Drugs Act although conforming to the conditions under which
the license was granted but, as a result of prosecutions in various
parts of the country, the position was clarified and the number of
unsatisfactory substitutes considerably reduced.
The introduction of the Milk Rationalisation Scheme in 1943
reduced the number of retailers supplying milk from adjoining
boroughs and gave rise for a time to a number of complaints, mostly
unjustified, as to the quality of the milk supplied to persons who
were discontented at the compulsory transfer to a different supplier.
In 1944 the quantity of food examined for the purpose of determining
its fitness for human consumption and the quantity condemned
showed considerable increases over any previous year's
figures. These increases were largely due to three causes—delay
in transport of perishable goods such as fish and fruit, the larger
quantity of canned fruits being marketed, and damage to stocks
of food in shops resulting from V weapon attacks from which the
borough, in common with other Metropolitan boroughs, suffered
so heavily during the second half of the year. No less than 130
food premises of various kinds were destroyed or extensively
damaged with resultant damage in varying degrees to large quantities
of foodstuffs, including many rationed commodities.
Every effort was made to salvage for human consumption
food so affected, and examination was carried out sometimes under
very difficult conditions and circumstances that permitted of no
delay. Practically all the fats and a large part of the sugar damaged
were salvaged for further refining and reconditioning for manufacturing
purposes, and in those cases where no possibility of use
for human needs remained the material was passed on for manufacture
into animal feeding products, fertilisers, and for other
commercial uses. Only a very small amount, probably less than
10 per cent. of the total, was destroyed as, for instance, in those
cases where the food had been damaged by mineral oils, disinfectants
or bleaching compounds.
As the war progressed the work of the food inspectors continued
to show a steady increase and called for unabated labour and