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whole of Part II of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, and the Milk
(Special Designations) Act, 1949, when it comes into operation on
1st January, 1951.
Labelling of Food Order, 1950.—This Order, which came into
force on 1st November of the current year, deals with precise and
specific labelling of pre-packed foods and largely re-enacts the
Labelling of Food Order, 1946, and its subsequent amendments.
Milk.—Deaths as a result of bovine tuberculosis are still
occurring throughout the country and it cannot be too strongly
emphasised that the utmost care and vigilance is necessary in the
treatment and distribution of milk intended for human consumption.
Milk plays a large part in the everyday diet of the public and,
as it was to be expected, this commodity formed the largest class
of food sampled during the year. The growing importance of milk
as a food is reflected in the spate of recent legislation concerning
this significant article of diet. Even the new Special Designation
Regulations introduced last year were slightly modified during the
current year by Amendment Regulations which were chiefly of a
technical nature, especially in regard to the various oxidising and
preservative agents approved under the provisions of the Milk and
Dairies Regulations, 1949.
Thus it can be seen that the Authorities are constantly and
persistently striving to ensure an even purer supply of milk.
Milk Supply.—The supply of milk continues to be under the
direction of the Milk Marketing Board who, in this connection, act
as agents to the Ministry of Food. The greater proportion of the
milk which enters the Borough originates from the Home Counties
and the remainder, which is of a higher fat content, arrives from
Devon and the Channel Islands.
Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949.—Under the provisions of
these Regulations each person retailing milk in the Borough must
be registered as a Distributor. At the commencement of the year
83 persons were so registered and, allowing for additions to and
deletions from this list, the number of Distributors registered at
the end of the year remained the same, viz., 83.
Eight premises were registered as Dairies, being premises where
milk is handled and not retailed in the unopened containers in
which it is received. No additions to or deletions from the list of
Dairies were effected during the year.
On 102 occasions the premises of Distributors and Dairies were
visited and as a result of these inspections the following defects
were detected and remedied:—