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32
By-laws for the Protection of Food.
These By-laws, made by the London County Council under
Section 15 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, came into operation on
the 3rd November, 1952. They are designed to secure the observance
of sanitary and cleanly conditions and practices in connection with the
handling, wrapping and delivery of food sold or intended for sale for
human consumption, and in connection with the sale or exposure for
sale in the open air of food intended for human consumption. They
are, of course, in addition to and not in substitution for, other statutory
requirements on the same subjects (e.g., Section 13 of the Food and
Drugs Act, 1938).
A copy of the By-laws was sent to each food trader in the Borough,
and they will all subsequently be visited by one of the Sanitary
Inspectors; who, in addition to ascertaining whether the By-laws are
being complied with, will offer advice to the trader on any aspect ot
them on which he may be in doubt.
Legal proceedings were taken against a firm of horse slaughterers
carrying on business in a northern city in respect of the transport and
delivery to a shop in Battersea, under unhygienic conditions, of
horseflesh intended for human consumption. Two summonses
were issued under the By-laws. The defendant firm did
not appear, but wrote to the Court pleading guilty. The Court imposed
a fine of £4 and awarded £1 1s. Od. costs on each summons. Subsequent
observations on this firm's deliveries showed that the prosecution had
had the desired effect.
Talks to School Children.
By arrangement with the London County Council as Education
Authority, two of the Sanitary Inspectors visited a number of local
schools at various times during the year and gave talks to the pupils
on hygiene in the kitchen, and on clean milk production. Arrangements
were also made for parties of pupils to visit food factories and milk
processing depots.
These talks and visits were greatly appreciated and are undoubtedly
of considerable educational value.
Festival Pleasure Gardens, Battersea Park.
In the Annual Report for 1951, an account was given of the
catering arrangements in these Gardens and of the control exercised
over them by the Council's Officers.
The Gardens were again open to the public for a period of about
six months during 1953. The attendance was considerably below that of
1951, but the number of catering establishments, ice cream kiosks, etc.,
was much the same as in previous years. Close supervision of these
premises was maintained, and once again it is gratifying to record that
no case of serious illness was traced to any food purchased in the
Gardens, nor was any complaint made about the catering arrangements.
Slaughterhouses.
There is only one licensed slaughterhouse in the Borough. Its
use ceased about the middle of 1950 and has not been resumed.