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FOOD CONTROL
There was no new major legislation on food and drugs control during 1957,
and the main part of the work in this section was devoted to consolidation of
the improvements obtainable as a result of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, which
came into force in 1956. In addition, new establishments had to be visited as
there was an increase in the number of food premises in the borough.
Although it is desirable that every establishment where food is sold should
be visited at least once during every year, this has been difficult because of
shortage of staff and because the housing surveys required for the slum clearance
programme and the visits required to assess dilapidations under the provisions
of the Rent Act. were both frequent and time consuming
The general public is encouraged to bring to the notice of the Department
complaints with regard to unsatisfactory conditions in food shops and catering
establishments, and the fact that during the year the number of these complaints
was small is taken to indicate that standards are slowly improving There is
evidence in many shops of an increased interest in food hygiene as displayed by
the greater use of wrappings for foodstuffs and the provision of screens and
barriers to prevent contamination either by insects,, food handlers or the customers
themselves who are very often now the worst offenders with regard to food
hygiene Many customers used to wish to handle their prospective purchases to
feel for quality and in the course of choosing certain articles might be picked
up and rejected several times before sale This of course constituted a health
hazard and was not at all desirable from the hygiene point of view.
Although the requirements for washing facilities, fooc| stores etc., in the
Pood Hygiene Regulations 1955 meant that some shop owners had to spend a great
deal of money in order to bring their shops up to the required standards, cooperation
was good and in no case was it necessary to have recourse to legal
action to obtain the improvements

ICE CREAM
The Ice Cream (Heat Treatment etc ) Regulations 1947/52
Observations as laid down in these Regulations were made on the three premises
where manufacture of ice cream was carried out.
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