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68
The steps necessary to protect meat against contamination
must depend on the circumstances of the shop or stall in relation
to the sources of possible contamination and also on
the conditions under which trade is carried on. In no circumstances,
however, should meat be allowed to project outside
the limits of the wall or screen of the shop or stall, where it
would be especially exposed to contamination from the street,
and it should be kept as far within those limits as is practicable.
Where meat has to be kept near to an open window the general
rule should be that it should be covered with clean muslin
or other suitable material, but Local Authorities will no doubt
realise that, when a brisk trade is being carried on, this precaution
may have to be suspended so that meat may be readily
accessible.
The words in this paragraph, "It is not contemplated
that this provision should be construed as
requiring all butchers' shops to be provided with glass
fronts," 'have unfortunately been defined by the
butchers as meaning that glass fronts are an unnecessary
precaution and in more than one case a
magistrate has been so influenced.
In Fulham, on the whole, the Regulations have
undoubtedly raised the standard of cleanliness in most
of our butchers' shops.
In 10 cases, glass fronts have been provided voluntarily
since the Regulations came into force and in
several other cases butchers have promised to make the
necessary alterations and are in process of getting out
plans. Perhaps the place where this improvement is
most evident is in the North End Road, and one hopes
that within a few months most of the butchers' shops
in this street will have removed their meat from the
stalls in front of their shops and will be provided with
glass fronts. At the present time every butcher's
shop in the Fulham portion of Fulham Road, with the
exception of one, is provided with glass fronts, and the
one exception has promised to provide a new front in
the near future. There are still, however, a number of
meat traders other than butchers, such as grocers, selling
bacon, who still display their wares on stalls in front of
their shops. It appears difficult to secure a conviction
in these cases, unless one can produce absolute proof that
the meat is being contaminated, but I am of the opinion
that unless within the next few months these stalls