View report page

64
After heat treatment the mixture must within 1½ hours be reduced to a
temperature of not more than 45°F. and so kept until the freezing process is
begun. A further requirement is that ice cream shall not be sold unless it
has been kept at a temperature not exceeding 28°F. since being frozen.
(b) PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF SAUSAGES OR POTTED, PRESSED, PICKLED OR
PRESERVED FOOD INTENDED FOR SALE, Four premises were removed from the register
following cessation of the trade for which they were registered, and three
new registrations in respect of fish curing businesses were approved. At the
end of the year the 150 premises on the Department's register were classified
as follows:-
Preservation of meat and manufacture of sausages 119
Fish curing 22
Manufacture of meat pies and jellied eels 5
Manufacture of pickles 1
Manufacture of potato crisps 3
SECTION 15, (By-laws for the protection of food). By-laws made by the
London County Council pursuant to their powers under this section make provision
for securing the observance of cleanliness in the handling, wrapping
and delivery of food whether sold from shop premises or in the open air.
SECTION 17. (Notification of cases of food poisoning. ) A medical practitioner,
on becoming aware that a person is suffering or suspected to be
suffering from food poisoning, is required to send a notification of this
information to the Medical Officer of Health for the district. Formal notifications
to the number of 21 were received, but two proved on investigation
to be cases of Paratyphoid Fever and are reported in the section of the report
dealing with infectious disease The corrected figure of 19 cases included
one outbreak, where a family consisting of husband, wife and three children
aged 4 years, 2 years, and 11 months, suffered from sickness and diarrhoea;
after treatment in the out-patient department of a local hospital they were
sent home. Tinned pilchards in tomato sauce which had been eaten by the
family at tea time were suspected to be the cause of the illness, and the
remains of a pilchard sandwich submitted to the Public Health Laboratory
Service for examination showed the presence of staphylococcus aureus. In
eight individual cases of persons who received in-patient treatment at
hospital, salmonella typhi-murium was isolated from the stools.
Whilst every case of food poisoning or suspected food poisoning is fully
investigated by the Department, one such enquiry conducted during the year is
worthy of special mention. On 1st April a telephone message was received
from a doctor to a large confectionery factory in the Borough, to the effect
that 13 female employees had been sent home during the afternoon suffering
from gastro intestinal symptoms An enquiry was immediately made at the
Works, when it was ascertained that a number of employees suffered discomfort
some hours after partaking of a mid-day meal in the Works canteen. Of a
total of 170 persons at risk, 32 of whom 29 were factory workers and 3 canteen
staff, were affected. The main symptom was diarrhoea, with, in a few cases,
vomiting and abdominal pains, the severity of the illness was mild and of
about 12 hours duration. Of the food consumed, that common to the persons
affected appeared to be roast pork, but synthetic cream prepared on the
premises by a member of the canteen staff was also suspect; unfortunately no
portion of any suspected foodstuff was available for bacteriological examination.
I paid several visits with the Food Inspector to the premises and
received every assistance from the Management, Specimens of faeces were
obtained from the affected persons, and in ten cases CI. welchii. was found.
The canteen was provided by an industrial catering company, who agreed to put
off duty the two members of their staff excreting the organism.