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93
PROTECTION OF THE FOOD SUPPLY.
During the year 1902 a large amount of time and labour has
been spent upon the protection of the Food Supply. This has
comprised meat inspection and seizure, registration and inspection
of the milkshops and dairies, and carrying out the Sale of Food
and Drugs Acts. During the year the butter and condensed milk
trade have also come in for attention. The various premises in
which the preparation of food takes place, directly or indirectly,
have been inspected, including slaughterhouses, butchers' shops,
cowsheds, milkshops, bakehouses, restaurant kitchens, etc.
MEAT.
At the time of the formation of the Borough of Finsbury, in
1900, the Extra-Corporation meat markets came within its
jurisdiction. This market, is the second largest dead-meat
market in London, the City Corporation markets adjoining it
being of course the largest. In December, 1900, the Borough
Council appointed a special meat inspector to take supervision of
this market and of meat shops or meat stores generally throughout
the Borough. Inspector G. T. Billing, who had held a
similar position under the Holborn Board of Works, was
appointed to this post. His work requires that he shall be on
duty in the market at an early hour in the morning, and at
intervals he inspects meat elsewhere in the Borough. Meat is
also inspected in every part of the Borough by the Sanitary
Inspectors, and on Sundays the "market streets" are also
regularly inspected.
The mode of precedure is as follows: If a salesman or owner
of meat calls in the Inspector to examine suspicious meat and at
once surrenders what is unfit for food, this meat is confiscated and
destroyed, the Council not being liable. In cases of difficulty
the Medical Officer of Health is sent for and consulted. But if
the Inspector takes the first step, and on his round comes across
meat which is unfit for food, exposed for sale, or deposited
in any place for the purpose of sale or of preparation for sale, he
may deem it right to "seize " the meat. In this event it is