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engaged in the retailing of articles of food. Five licences were
revoked at the request of the vendors concerned reducing the total
number of licences in force on 31st December to 52.
Premises used for the purpose of storing articles of food intended
for sale by street traders, were kept under regular supervision by
the Food Inspectors.
Supervision of Premises Including Factories where Food
is Prepared.—In addition to the more general type of premises,
such as restaurants, cafes, bakehouses, fish shops, etc. where food
is provided, the Borough has numerous other premises at which
food and drugs are prepared. Such premises include those of the
manufacturers of pharmaceutical sundries, mineral waters and icecream
as well as fruit-canning factories, flour millers and brewers.
To these premises the Food Inspectors made 4,294 visits, as a result
of which 140 improvements were effected. It is pleasing to record
that of the improvements obtained only 4 were prompted by the
issue of Notices, the remainder being accomplished on verbal
instructions, indicating the close co-operation existing between
local firms and the Council's officers. The fact that so few Notices
have been necessary during the year is further evidence of the
improved standard of food traders' premises which is, to a large
extent, due to the Food Inspectors' vigilance and persistence over
the past few years.
The unhygienic practice that customers have of taking their
dogs into food shops has long been a source of trouble to Health
Authorities.
However, during the latter part of this year the Minister of
Food recommended that Local Authorities should issue a notice
over the signature of the Medical Officer of Health to be displayed
in food premises, pointing out that in the interests of hygiene
customers should be requested not to take their dogs into premises
where food is sold. The Public Health Committee agreed that the
Minister's recommendation should be implemented and notices to
this effect were accordingly issued.
It may be mentioned that the Minister's action had the full
support of the National Representative Bodies of the Retail Food
Traders.
The following table is a statistical record of the major portion
of the duties performed and inspections undertaken during the year