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
Southwark 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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85
Nut-Megs.
Parcels of nut-megs have arrived from China, affected by the
beetle, Oryzaephilus Surinamensis.
This is receiving the attention of the Ministry, and other Port
Sanitary Officers, in conjunction with myself.
General .
(a) The large riverside premises with the "Oxo" tower, previously
known as River Plate Wharf, and now changed to Stamford Wharf,
have been acquired by the Union Cold Storage Company, whose premises,
Nelson Wharves, are adjoining.
Alterations are now in progress, and it is anticipated that these
premises, together with Nelson's Wharf, will probably be one of the
largest food concerns in the country.
(b) The growing importance of this work will be realized when I
state that 5,000 tons of food are handled weekly at this Wharf alone.
Public Health (Preservatives in Food) Regulations, 1925.
60 samples were taken during the year on the Wharves and submitted to the Borough Analyst for examination.
| Tomato Puree | Tin 0.7 grain per pound; Zinc 0.2 grain per pound. |
| Canned Tomatoes | Tin 0.3 grain per pound; Lead, Arsenic, Zinc and Copper were not found. |
| Tomato Puree | Tin 0.7 grain per pound. |
| Sample of Lard and pieces of a wood packing case | The wood was covered on the outside with a fine black powder, which had found its way to the inside of the case, blackening both the paper wrapper of the Lard and the Lard itself. The black powder consisted of Cobalt Oxide, contaminated with Arsenic compounds. |
| Sultanas | Sulphur dioxide 490 parts per million. |
| Tomato Paste | Tin 0.28 grain per pound; Copper 0.28 grain per pound; Zinc faint trace; Lead and Arsenic not found. |