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89
PROTECTION OF THE FOOD SUPPLY.
During the year 1904 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, the general inspection of food and
fruit, and the administration of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts.
The various premises in which the preparation of food takes
place, directly or indirectly, have also been inspected, including
slaughter-houses, butchers' shops, cowsheds, milkshops, bakehouses,
restaur ant kitchens, &c.
MEAT.
At the time of the formation of the Borough of Finsbury in 1900,
the Extra-Corporation meat market 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, Inspector G. T. Billing, to take supervision of this
market and of meat shops or meat and food stores generally throughout
the Borough. His work requires that he shall be on duty in the
market at an early hour in the morning, and at intervals he inspects
food elsewhere in the Borough. Meat is also inspected in every
part of the Borough by the Sanitary Inspectors, each in his own
district, and on Saturday nights and Sundays the "market streets"
are also regularly visited.
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
or other food which is unfit for human consumption, 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