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Public Health (Meat) Regulations.
These regulations provide for the supervision of butchers'
shops and stalls and the protection of meat from contamination
in transport and handling. The Inspectors kept all such premises
under observation but no infringements of the regulations were
reported which necessitated formal action by this department.
Merchandise Marks Act, 1926
The Orders in Council made under this Act require that
where imported food is sold or exposed for sale, the country of
origin shall be clearly indicated thereon.
Regular inspections were made for the purpose of discovering
any irregularities but on no occasion was it found necessary
to proceed against any trader for failure to comply with this
legislation.
Ice Cream.
The Ministry of Food, in a Circular dated Ist April, 1949,
indicated that additional supplies of sugar, and in certain
cases fats, had been made available to ice cream manufacturers
who had signed an undertaking that their ice cream would have a
minimum fat content of 2½ per cent. In order to secure observance
of the undertakings, local authorities were invited to
co-operate by supplying copies of analyses showing fat content
of any samples of ice cream that may be taken by their officers
in the normal course of their duties. Such information is
forwarded to the Ministry monthly by the Public Health
Department.
It was pointed out, however, that the use of a minimum fat
content of 2½ per cent. for this purpose must not be interpreted
as meaning that this figure is regarded by the Ministry as a
proper standard for ice cream.
The Food Standards Committee appointed by the Minister
of Food to review the composition of foods and to recommend
standards, considered proposals that a statutory standard of
composition should be prescribed for ice cream. The Committee,
while of opinion that a standard for ice cream is desirable
in principle, recommend that action should be deferred as owing
to the scarcity of ingredients, especially fats and milk solids, a
satisfactory standard could be prescribed at the present time
only at the expense of a reduction of supplies.
The number of premises in the Borough registered for the sale
of ice cream was 323 at the end of the year. Seventy-six samples
of ice cream were submitted for examination by the Methylene
Blue Test with the following results.
Grade.
No. of Samples.
I
21
II
19
III
20
IV
16