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254
Antibiotic and chemotherapeutic treatment for diseased
animals prior to slaughter and as anti-fever agents during
transport.
Coccidiostatics, tranquillisers and anthelmintics used as feed
additives.
Use of oestrogenous hormones in food animals.
It would be unrealistic not to assume that some of these substances
persist in the finished food article. Moreover, if to this
list is added those compounds concerned with preserving and
colouring and those long-lived fission products, negligible at the
moment but requiring constant surveillance, the difficulties associated
with their detection by investigation and analysis become
immediately apparent. As if coping with the use of these chemicals
was hardly sufficient the question of "food born" infections such
as salmonellosis, viral and rickettsial infections, protozoal and
and zooparasitical complaints together with the intricate technical
problems of processing, handling, storing, transporting and marketing
of food products renders control daily more complex. Undoubtedly
the examination of food stuffs is becoming progressively
more difficult and, with the modern and more subtle forms of
contamination and adulteration, food inspectors and analysts are
confronted with situations requiring completely new techniques.
Solutions to these new problems must be found for, despite increasing
support for a return to a more natural type of husbandry,
abandonment of intensive methods is impractical in the light of the
present population growth.
Protection of the community's food supplies is one of the local
authority's major obligations and the new hazards revealed by
scientific progress renders the food inspector's task more difficult
and his responsibilities more onerous. Fortunately, in recent years,
greater attention has been given to producing standards of composition
and nomenclature for various commodities and in ensuring
that these are accurately indicated on accompanying labels. However,
one legislative measure which could assist in the closer control
over infection and contamination of comestibles would be the
compulsory registration of eating houses. This would have the
effect of closing the one remaining link in the chain of control from
producer to consumer.
MILK
Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959
Under the provisions of these Regulations each person retailing
milk in the Borough must be registered as a Distributor. The
number of persons so registered at the end of the year was 190.