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40
Unsound Food.
The protection of the public from consuming unsound food
is a matter over which every local Sanitary Authority should
exercise the utmost vigilance. Ample powers are provided by
the Public Health Act for this purpose, and speaking for my
own authority I must say that when distinct breaches of this
portion of the Public Health Act are brought to their notice
they take all necessary steps to prosecute the offenders. It is
at all times a delicate and difficult matter for sanitary officials
to bring transgressors to justice, for whilst we are aware that
certain things are done which are contrary to the Act, it is not
always possible to detect them or to take proceedings to prevent
them. Our successful actions in the matter during the
last few years have proved a serious warning to persons carrying
on this nefarious trade, and particularly in regard to tinned
foods. Several makers of tinned foods have left the district
as they could not stand the constant supervision exercised over
them.
For some time previous to November, your inspector, Mr.
Lyon, and myself, had under observation a biscuit and cake
maker suspected of using unwholesome material in his business,
and on the 24th November we visited the premises, and
found the manufacture of biscuits in progress. Outside the
bakehouse we found a large quantity of eggs; we broke a
number of them and all were bad and unfit for food. On going
into the bakehouse we found a quantity of dough recently
made up, and we were informed, made with similar eggs to
those outside the bakehouse. The smell of the eggs we broke
was extremely offensive and permeated the bakehouse to such
an extent that it was impossible to smell if the dough was
made with bad eggs. We then seized the eggs on the premises,
in all 1,645, and had them conveyed to the Thames PoliceCourt,
where they were seen by the magistrate and condemned.
At the magistrate's direction, the eggs were taken to the
Vestry's depot and destroyed, and a summons was issued
against the owner. After hearing all the evidence of Mr.