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5
Food Hygiene. The work of enforcing the requirements of the Food
Hygiene Regulations was continued throughout the year. There is no doubt
that both the food traders and the general public are becoming more and more
conscious of the need of maintaining a high hygienic standard in connection
with the storage, preparation and sale of food. The general willingness of
most people to co-operate in the task of ensuring clean food becomes more
evident as time goes on. One of the requirements of the Regulations which
the Council's officers stringently enforce is the prohibition of smoking
by persons while handling open food. This restriction applies only to
employees in food premises. Comments are constantly being made that the
restriction should apply to the customers. At the end of the year, the
Public Health Committee felt the time had arrived when an attempt should
be made to persuade the general public not to smoke whilst in food shops.
An appropriate printed notice (size 10"x 8") was prepared and copies have
been given to those traders willing to exhibit them in their premises.
The following is a facsimile of the wording of the notice s-
Royal Borough of Kensington
NO SMOKING
The staff of this shop are prohibited, by
law, from smoking while handling food
In the interests of food hygiene, customers
also are requested to refrain from smoking.
J. H. Weir
Medical Officer of Health.
This notice is issued by the Public Health
Committee of the Royal Borough of Kensington
General. The increasing momentum of the work of dealing with
slum clearance, the repair of houses, food hygiene in shops. Clean Air Act
and smoke abatement, etc., is placing a heavy burden on the staff of the
Department, especially the public health inspectors.
For the past few years it has not been possible to recruit the
required number of public health inspectors and this position is common
throughout the Metropolitan area. This persistent shortage of inspectors
could have an adverse effect on the work of health departments.
The Council have adopted a scheme for training students as public
health inspectors. Two men have commenced work in the department and they
are giving increasingly valuable assistance to the inspectorial staff, whilst
undergoing training. The Minister of Health has stated that the best
training is obtained by those students who are engaged by local authorities
specifically as pupils or student public health inspectors and he has no doubt
that local authorities will bear this in mind and consider the advantages of
adopting a system of paid pupillage or, where appropriate, of extending
existing arrangements.
VITAL STATISTICS
The table set out on the next two pages gives the important
vital statistics for 1957, together with comparative figures for the previous
seven years .