London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Surbiton 1958

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Surbiton]

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ICE CREAM (Cont.)
(ii) Samples (cont.)
The Public Health Laboratory Service advises that owing
to the numerous factors governing the hygienic quality of
ice-cream it is unwise to pay too much attention to the
"bacteriological results on any single sample. Judgment
should be based rather on a series of samples. It is
suggested that over a six monthly period, 50% of a vendor's
samples should fall into Grade 1, 80% into Grades 1 or 2,
not more than 20% into Grade 3, and none into Grade 4.
The results above show that a very high standard of
hygienic quality is being maintained both by manufacturers
and retailers.
There are now no manufacturers of ice cream within
the Borough.
CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956.
The greater part of this Act which is "an Act to make
provision for abating the pollution of the air" came into
force on 31st December, 1956, and the remaining sections on
1st June, 1 958.
There are already a number of explanatory memoranda,
orders and regulations to supplement the Act which together
make a formidable contribution to the duties of local
authorities and their officers.
A number of the provisions are new and some even
revolutionary.
In a district such as ours where atmospheric pollution
is not of a serious nature it calls for much earnest
consideration before tendering advice to the Council upon
some of the procedure prescribed, particularly the
establishment of smoke control areas which would involve
heavy expenditure of public monies.
The year under review was therefore used as a period
in which the situation was studied and assessed.
It became apparent that the supplies of smokeless
fuels were quite inadequate to meet the normal voluntary
demand therefor; it was indeed something of a surprise to
find that so many householders had already become "wedded"
to the premium smokeless fuels and were annoyed that they
could not obtain them throughout the winter. The use of
coke on open fireplaces appeared to be negligible and the
quality of such fuel which could be obtained was not
generally suitable for such fireplaces.
The review of the position continued into the Spring
of 1959 when a comprehensive report was submitted to the
Council, and this, together with results accruing therefrom,
will be commented upon in next year's annual report.
46.