View report page

17
SECTION D
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
Food and Drugs Act, 1955.
Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955 and 1960.
The close of 1960 saw some new legislation of importance
concerning food. A new set of Food Hygiene Regulations, the
Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960, and the Food Hygiene
(Docks, Carriers etc.) Regulations, 1960, came into operation with
certain exceptions, in October of that year.
The 1955 Regulations dealt with the hygienic handling of food
and the construction and maintenance of premises etc., where food
is handled. Certain premises such as docks and warehouses and
carriers were excluded. Briefly some of the changes are as
follows :—
The new Food Hygiene (Docks, Carriers, etc.) Regulations
1960, for the first time prescribe rules for preventing risk of contamination
of food in premises previously excluded. The personal
cleanliness of dock workers and other food handlers engaged in
handling food which is not packed, is now insisted upon, and there
are special requirements relating to the handling of meat and the
notification of certain infections in food handlers. Premises so
used are also required to be properly constructed and maintained,
although there is no provision for exempting premises where it is not
practicable to provide water supply and washing facilities.
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960, take the
principal Regulations a further step forward by including homegoing
ships and moored vessels. The expression "food premises"
now applies to ships, passenger ferries, etc., from which a catering
or retail food business is carried on. The definition "meat" has
been extended to include rabbits, game and poultry. The scope of
the expression "handling of food" has been widened so that the
obligations of food handlers will in future extend to persons who
wash-up or clean food equipment. Also as far as food handlers
are concerned, the provision relating to the prohibition of the use
of tobacco (including snuff) is extended to any other smoking
mixture. The list of foods exempted from the provisions relating
to the temperature at which food is to be kept has been extended
to include others in which the danger of rapid multiplication of
bacteria is small, e.g. chocolate or sugar confectionery, canned and
bottled food, butter, margarine and other fats.
The inspection and supervision of food supplies has always
been one of the most important duties for which a Public Health
Authority is responsible, and the shortage of inspectorial staff in
the department has placed a heavy burden on the Inspectors who
have had tc undertake the additional work in order to supervise the
food supplies of the borough.