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121
Food.
The food supply of Hampstead continues to be satisfactory; the
traders readily co-operate with the Public Health Department by
voluntarily surrendering any foodstuff, the consumption of which
might be undesirable, and by furnishing such information as may be
necessary as to the source of supply, etc.
One of the chief causes of disease is an improper or insufficient
food supply. With the exception of the limited action that can be
taken in connection with the supply of extra nourishment for mothers
and young children, it is not wifhin the sphere of the activities of the
Public Health Department to see that the members of the community
are nourished properly or sufficiently. The Department is, however,
able in some measure to take action in the direction of ensuring that
the food supply shall be wholesome, and free from adulteration or
the addition of injurious ingredients. To this end, Officers of the
Department enforce the provisions of the Food and Drugs Art and
kindred Acts, Orders, and Regulations.
Hampstead is fortunate in that the criminal practice of tampering
with the food supply of the people is rarely practised in the Borough.
All the Sanitary Inspectors are appointed as Officers to enforce the
provisions of the various Acts, etc.; while certain of their number are
specially detailed to purchase samples of food for analysis by the
Public Analyst. Closely allied to this matter, although more related
to the prevention of fraud than to injury to health, are the provisions
of the law relating to the proper labelling of certain articles of food.
At the close of the year 1936 and the beginning of the succeeding year
it was noticed by the Inspectors that some traders in the Borough were
not labelling certain imported articles of food as required by law.
All shopkeepers have therefore been communicated with and their
attention drawn to the matter.
Bye-laws re clean food.
The byelaws made by 'the County Council under Section 6 of
the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1932 (now Section
183 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, for promoting sanitary
and cleanly conditions in the manufacture, preparation, storage, transport
and exposure for sale of articles intended to be sold for food