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83
With the introduction of the new Food and Drugs Act, opportunity
was taken to review the lists of all premises registered for the
sale and storage of ice-cream and for the sale or preparation of
preserved foods.
Preserved Food Premises (meat, fish, etc.).—The total number
of premises on the register at 31st December, was 87.
One hundred and forty visits of inspection were made to
Preserved Food premises and Fried Fish shops as a result of which
two improvements were made and several sanitary defects remedied.
Ice Cream Premises.—By the end of the year the total number of
registered Ice Cream premises stood at 186.
Visits to these premises were made on 235 occasions and 9
improvements effected.
Manufacture and Sale of Ice Cream.—As the public's
appreciation of the food value of ice-cream increases, so consumption
rises, 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 61 samples were submitted for examination and
grading according to the Ministry's provisional Grading Scheme.