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124
Standards of meat content in pies and canned meats have
engaged the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food during the current year and its efforts have also been
directed to suitable methods of labelling these commodities. Legislation
on these lines has been awaited for a number of years and
it is expected that the coming year will see the issue of regulations
covering these aspects.
On the subject of labelling, it is interesting to note the public's
growing concern in the composition of foods, particularly with
those which are "out of season" or foods which are normally
considered "perishable" but whose life may be prolonged by
some kind of processing or treatment with a preservative. This
tendency has resulted in the production of a commodity whose
colour, texture and taste often has to be chemically sustained
and which permits of its easy transportation in containers which
are now. more often than not, of plastic material. It is therefore,
becoming increasingly important that information concerning the
composition or other qualities of the food offered should be clearly
displayed and readily understood by the purchaser. Apart from
the listing of ingredients, other problems arise in connection with
labelling such as shape, design, size of lettering, material upon
which information is printed, etc. Labelling of food is extremely
complicated but very necessary and the public can rest assured
that their interests are uppermost in the minds of the local health
authorities' food inspectors operating in accordance with the
Labelling of Food Order, 1953.
Legislation.—Of the new legislation introduced in the current
year concerning food, the following regulations were considered
the more important.
The Meat Inspection Regulations, 1963—These Regulations,
operative from 1st October, were made under Sections 13 and 123
of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, and they replace, with amendments,
the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924/52.
The main provisions are that, except where the regulations
permit, carcases of animals slaughtered for sale for human consumption
must not be removed from the place of slaughter until
they have been inspected and, if passed as fit for human consumption,
until they have been marked with the mark and in the manner
described in Schedule 3 With certain exceptions, prior notice of
intention to slaughter must be given; the minimum period of this
notice has been extended from three hours to twenty-four hours.
Local authorities are empowered to make a charge for inspection.
Schedules 1 and 2 contain provisions as to the manner in which
inspectors are to carry out inspections and as to the circumstances
in which meat is to be regarded as unfit for human consumption.