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157 [1898
ICE CREAMS.
No legislation has yet been carried out with respect to the
registration of the houses or places where Ice Creams are manufactured
by itinerant vendors of that article.
This matter is of very serious importance, and it is not too much to
hope that the London County Council will see its way to introduce a
clause into the proposed amendment of the Public Health (London) Act
to insure that the manufacture of this article of food shall be conducted
in a cleanly and healthy manner.
At present the conditions under which it is made are most
unsatisfactory and very often most insanitary.
This question was first raised in Islington, in 1894, since which
time many of the provincial towns, such as Liverpool and Glasgow
have obtained supervisory powers over the premises in which Ice Creams
are made. It is not always that those authorities who first bring
matters under public notice are enabled to reap the earliest advantage
of their advocacy.
This possibly would not be so in London if Sanitary Authorities, like
the Vestry of Islington, possessed powers of introducing legislation.
In Liverpool and Glasgow, regulations are now in force relating to
the manufacture and sale of Ice Cream with a view to prevent contamination.
In the report of the Medical Officer of Health for the
former city he states that during the year 1,678 visits have been made
to 251 premises occupied by makers and sellers of these articles. He
also states that special attention had been directed to the street traders
of these commodities, and that most of the Vendors make use of
premises approved by the Health Committee, thus removing to a large
extent the insanitary condition under which the food was previously
made. He adds these words, "a striking proof of the value of the
powers recently obtained."