N 66
The symptoms appear to have developed rapidly i.e. from one to three hours after the meal. Recovery was also said to have been rapid. There were no fatal cases.
Inspection of the bakery showed that all possible care was taken for the sake of cleanliness.
The bacteriological examination of the cakes showed only a growth of bacillus subtilis and no harmful bacteria.
The chemical examination showed absence of mineral poisons and vegetable alkaloids.
Some of the cakes were made with custard which was found to be abnormally acid and to give a faint reaction which suggested the presence of the poison known as Tyrotoxicon.
Butter imported in a frozen state had been used in the preparation of this custard.
It is of interest that two persons were taken ill after eating buttered toast at this restaurant on the same day on which the other sufferers ate the cakes, but these two had eaten no cakes.
It was not possible to obtain any sample of butter from the same lot which had been used in preparing the cakes; it had all been used.
However, samples of every ingredient in use at the bakery were later examined chemically with the result that no poisonous substances could be detected.
The rapid onset of the illnesses and the negative results of the bacteriological examination as regards harmful organisms indicated that this was not an outbreak of Food Poisoning of the more usual kind, that is caused by infection with living bacteria.
It was concluded that the poison was in the butter and was probably Tyrotoxicon or a Ptomaine produced in the butter by some remote bacterial action before importation.
The butter was imported in large quantities packed in paper-lined wooden cases and frozen.
Some 600 lbs. were sold daily by the importers and it was delivered in the unopened original cases. It was placed in cold storage on importation and only taken therefrom on receipt of a customer's order.
The butter was still frozen when it was delivered at the bakery.
Page 360
Page 361
N 66
The symptoms appear to have developed rapidly i.e. from one to three hours after the meal. Recovery was also said to have been rapid. There were no fatal cases.
Inspection of the bakery showed that all possible care was taken for the sake of cleanliness.
The bacteriological examination of the cakes showed only a growth of bacillus subtilis and no harmful bacteria.
The chemical examination showed absence of mineral poisons and vegetable alkaloids.
Some of the cakes were made with custard which was found to be abnormally acid and to give a faint reaction which suggest- ed the presence of the poison known as Tyrotoxicon.
Butter imported in a frozen state had been used in the pre- paration of this custard.
It is of interest that two persons were taken ill after eating buttered toast at this restaurant on the same day on which the other sufferers ate the cakes, but these two had eaten no cakes
It was not possible to obtain any sample of butter from the same lot which had been used in preparing the cakes; it had all been used.
However samples of every ingredient in use at the bakery were later examined chemically with the result that no poisonous substances could be detected.
The rapid onset of the illnesses and the negative results of the bacteriological examination as regards harmful organisms indicated that this was not an outbreak of Food Poisoning of the more usual kind, that is caused by infection with living bacteria.
It was concluded that the poison was in the butter and was probably Tyrotoxicon or a Ptomaine produced in the butter by some remote bacterial action before importation.
The butter was imported in large quantities packed in paper lined wooden cases and frozen.
}
Some 600 lbs. were sold daily by the importers and it was delivered in the unopened original cases. It was placed in cold storage on importation and only taken therefrom on receipt of a customer's order.
The butter was still frozen when it was delivered at the bakery.
t
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