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80
Manufacture and Sale of Ice Cream.—Consumption of icecream
continues to rise as instanced by the increase in the number
of premises registered for its sale, but as yet, no legal bacteriological
standard exists and the methylene blue reductase test is certainly
not selective enough to justify its adoption as a statutory measure.
However, in order to minimise the risk of contamination and
the spread of infection, the policy in Greenwich has been to
encourage the sale of 'wrapped' or 'carton' ice-cream in preference
to the manufacture and sale of it 'loose.'
Factories in the area which produce 'Ice Lollies' or 'Lolly'
syrup are regularly and carefully supervised.
The Ice Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1947 to 1952.—
The above Regulations were introduced to secure the elimination
of pathogenic organisms by a heat-treatment process similar to that
used in the pasteurisation of milk and, generally speaking, this
has been accomplished. The Amendment Regulations, introduced
on 5th May, 1952, served to provide a third method of heat treatment
for ice-cream.
Ice Cream Sampling. (Bacteriological Examination).—As in the
previous year the Council continued to make use of the Public
Health Laboratory Service as provided for under the National
Health Act and 55 samples were submitted for examination and
grading according to the Ministry's provisional Grading Scheme.
The grading is based on the results of the Methylene Blue Reductase
Test and a summary of this year's reports is given below :—
Samples taken Time taken to Reduce Provisional Observations
Methylene Blue Grade
40 4£ hours or more 1 Satisfactory
6 2^ to 4 hours 2 Sub-standard
4 j to 2 hours 3 Unsatisfactory
1 0 hours 4 Most Unsatisfactory
4 Ice-lollies Plate count and bacteria reports
showed these samples to be
Satisfactory
On receipt of a Grade 3 or 4 report it is the practice in this
Borough to obtain further samples from a vendor before administrative
action is taken. It was not necessary during the year to have
recourse to 'administrative action.'