[Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Bletchley U.D.C.

  • Bletchley (Buckinghamshire, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1966] / Medical Officer of Health, Bletchley U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/40 (page 16)
    I would like to think that the former mentioned, surrendered the food entirely from a sense of public protection, but this is not always so. The Certificate that is issued is often used to claim recompense from the wholesaler or as cover for loss when stocktaking. However, the system works satisfactorily and provided the calls on our time do not become excessive, we welcome it. The following table categorises the various foods inspected and condemned,, Ninety three visits were paid and the food removed and disposed of at the Council°s refuse tip. cwt lbs Meat at slaughterhouse 11 89 Meat at retail premises 0 0 Meat at wholesale premises 0 0 Cooked meats and meat products 0 0 Canned meats 2 84 Fish 0 16 Fruit and vegetables (canned) 8 52 Other foods 10 100 Total 34 5 FOOD COMPLAINTS Mould on food may generally be taken as evidence of decomposition which renders food unfit for human consumption. Mould spores are ever present in the atmosphere, even of the most hygienic and well run factory and if the conditions are appropriate mould may form. Undoubtedly the wrapping of foods whilst hot and moist readily encourages mould growth; this is seen in the case of wrapped bread which may contain as much as moisture. Moulds growing in the substance of a food are not visible from the exterior and the wrapping itself, desirable though it is from the handling point, makes inspection impossible by the retailer or customer. The remedy would seem to be the coding or date marking of foods and as the shelf life of perishable foods can be assessed with moderate accuracy, they could be stamped with the last date on which they should be sold. A complaint of mouldy baby food purchased from a particular shop was repeated within a few months of receiving a warning. Although the brands and type of food were different, their nature was similar. The true cause was not establised, but was most probably due to stocking for several months against a newly constructed external wall.