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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, lie may deem it right to "seize"
the meat. In this event it is thoroughly examined by the Medical
Officer of Health, and if found to be diseased or unsound, and
therefore unfit for food, it is submitted to the presiding magistrate
at the Police Court. Permission is always granted for experts to
examine the meat on behalf of the persons from whom it has been
seized, and such meat lies at the Town Hall for this purpose for
twenty-four hours after seizure. After the meat is condemned, the
case in all its particulars (except the name of the person from whom
it was seized and the place where it was seized) is laid before the
Public Health Committee.
If there is any difficulty in the case, and the person from whom
it was seized wishes to lay before the Committee any extenuating
or mitigating circumstances, he is permitted to see the Committee
on his own responsibility. Each case is carefully considered by the
Committee on its merits, and after all the circumstances have been
stated, their instructions as to prosecution or otherwise are carried
out.
Our method of meat inspection may, therefore, be summarised as
having been as follows :—
(а) Seizure of the unsound or diseased meat by the Inspector,
unless voluntarily surrendered.
(b) Examination of the meat by the Medical Officer of Health.
(c) Submission of the meat to the magistrate presiding at the
Police Court for an order of condemnation and destruction,
the owner being permitted to have the meat seen an
his behalf by experts if he so wishes.
(d) Report of the facts of the case to the Public Health Committee.
The owner, under exceptional circumstances, meets
the Committee and lays his interpretation of the facts
before them.
(e) Carrying out the Committee's instructions in regard to
prosecution or otherwise.