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14
Efforts were continued to secure adequate protection for
foodstuffs exposed for sale, but it is a never ending task and
recent Court decisions have appeared to weaken the provisions
of the Food Hygiene Regulations in this matter. In
many cases at a Public Health Inspector's instigation traders
provided glass display screens or cabinets and on subsequent
visits it was found that packeted articles were behind the
screen and open food was placed on top or otherwise unprotected.
In this day and age surely all food should be
protected and required to be kept free from all avoidable
contamination, quite apart from whether a risk to health is
involved.
Three prosecutions were taken during the year. One
concerned two dirty milk bottles and fines of £20 and
£5 5s. 0d. costs were imposed. The second was in respect of
an insect in a loaf of bread. In this case the Magistrates
considered that there was an element of doubt that the
presence of the insect was an unavoidable consequence of the
process of preparation and dismissed the case. The third was
in respect of contraventions of the Food and Drugs Act and
the Food Hygiene Regulations and fines totalling £130 and
£5 5s. Od. costs were inflicted.

Food Preparing Premises
There were no new registrations during the year.
The register contained the addresses of 31 premises
which had been registered under the Act for the preservation,
etc., of food as follows:—
Premises used for the manufacture of sausages,
pies, etc. 12
Premises used for the cooking of fish 10
Premises used for the cooking of bacon 9