London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hackney 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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78
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
AND FOOD PREMISES
FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955
Food Complaints. Complaints to the number of 45 were received from residents
who felt that they had been sold food which was unfit for human consumption
A full investigation was made of all these complaints and the vendors of the
food in question were informed and invited to submit written explanations.
In thirteen cases the complaints could not be substantiated and no action was
taken; warning letters were sent to vendors in eighteen cases, and legal
proceedings were taken in twelve cases - eight cases under
Section 2 and four cases under Section 8. The remaining two complaints
related to dirty milk bottles, and legal proceedings were taken under the
Milk arid Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959 against the vendors.
Departmental records contain details of the 1,573 food premises in the
borough where the following food trades were carried on:-
Aerated water manufacture 2
Bakehouses 30
Bakehouses (Basement) 9
Bakers' shops (Sales only) 33
Bakers (Sundries manufacture) 1
Beer bottlers 2
Beer and Wines "Off" sales at grocers' shops 13
Butchers 134
Cake decoration manufacture 1
Canned soup manufacture 1
Cheese manufacture 1
Confectionery (Sweetshops) 376
Concentrated food manufacture 1
Fish curing 19
Fish (Wet) 31
Fish (Fried) 17
Fruit drink manufacture 2
Greengrocery 121
Grocery and provisions 367
Ice-cream manufacture 10
Ice-cream - retail sales 416
Jam manufacture 1
Jellied eels and pies - manufacture and sale 5
Milk distributor 218
Non-brewed condiment and vinegar manufacture 2
Public houses 175
Off licences 58
Onion peeling 9
Pickle manufacture 2
Restaurants and cafes 198
Sugar grinding 1
Sweets manufacture 7
Wholesale sweet storage 1
2,264
STREET TRADING IN FOOD. The majority of street traders operate from approved
pitches and are licensed by the Borough Council under Section 21 of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1947. All new applications for licences
to trade in food are referred to this department, and other than fruit and/or