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and the storage of trimmings, refuse and rubbish,
which must be placed in properly covered receptacles, kept apart
from any meat intended for sale.
Part VI provides for the observance of cleanliness in the
transport of meat by hand or in a vehicle, except when it is
packed in hampers or in impervious cases.
In June, 1925, a Circular was issued by the Ministry of
Health for the purpose of informing Local Authorities the intention
of the Department and the construction which might
properly be given to the provisions in question.
In this Circular the definition of meat is given as the raw
and untreated edible parts of the carcase of slaughtered cattle,
swine, sheep and goats. The Regulations do not apply to rabbits,
poultry, fish, butter, margarine and cheese, cooked meats, lard
and sausages and other preparations of or containing meat, and
might be regarded as outside the scope of the Regulations.
For the purpose of administering these Regulations, the
Medical Officer of Health and the District Sanitary Inspectors
were authorised by this Council to enter and inspect any slaughterhouse
or other place and any stall or vehicle to which these
Regulations apply.
The enforcement of these Regulations has thrown a considerable
amount of extra work on the Inspectors in bringing all
the premises concerned up to the required standard, and the
Inspectors in whose area the two private slaughterhouses are
situated have had to be on duty frequently in the evenings for
the purpose of inspection of the meat at the time of slaughter.
The work of meat inspection naturally falls into two sections
—the inspection of animals slaughtered at the private slaughterhouses
and the inspection of meat as presented for sale in the
butchers' shops and from stalls.
The main difficulty in connection with the Regulations has
been in connection with the butchers' shops and stores.
Meat traders are at present complying with the spirit of the
Regulations. Each case has been dealt with on its merits, and
although it is not possible to enforce the provision of glass fronts
for all butchers' shops, yet an ever increasing number have seen
the value of such fronts and have had them installed. There are
only two stalls in the Borough which come under the above
Regulations, and there has been no necessity to take any action
against them for not carrying out the Regulations.
The methods of transport and handling by carriers have lately
shown marked improvement owing to the action taken in pointing
out to the persons responsible how infringements of the Regulations
had occurred. As time goes on a further improvement
will be registered by the present carts for conveying meat being