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71
Not all of these complaints were justified. For instance,
identification of a live insect found in a loaf indicated the probable
origin to be in the complainant's garden. In another case, crystals
found in tinned fish proved to be a harmless natural product of
manufacture.
Once again the great majority of complaints concerned the
staple article of food—bread. The articles found in loaves, etc.,
varied from pieces of machinery to dirt. The Court took a very
serious view of offences of this nature and one firm, which offended
repeatedly, was fined £100 in respect of each of two cases and £60
for another offence.
The second largest classification of complaints referred to
decomposition, mould growths and the like, almost invariably indicative
of prolonged storage, often under unsatisfactory conditions,
of such highly perishable articles as meat pies and sausages. The
Inspectors lose no opportunity in stressing to shop keepers the
necessity to dispose of such goods rapidly and to maintain a strict
system of inspection and "turn over".
In 1963, it was necessary to institute proceedings in 13
instances, as follow:—
Bread (dirty)—Manufacturer fined £60 with £10 10s. costs.
Meat Pie (mouldy)—shopkeepers fined £25 with £10 10s. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £100 with £6 16s. 6d. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £100 with £6 16s. 6d. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £10 with £8 8s. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £15.
Sausages (stale)—Shopkeeper fined £15 with £5 5s. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £8 with £10 10s. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £20 with £5 5s. costs.
Bread (mouldy)—Manufacturer received conditional discharge on payment
of costs amounting to £7 8s.
Meat Pie (mouldy)—Shopkeeper fined £10 with £5 5s. costs.
Bread (foreign matter)—Case adjourned sine die due to illness of witness.
Bread (foreign matter)—Manufacturer fined £30 with £6 6s. costs.