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28
Food Hygiene Regulations. 1955, Immediately following the
coming into force of these Regulations in 1956, a letter was
sent to all food businesses in the borough enclosing a copy of
the Regulations and offering the assistance of the Public Health
Inspectors in advising the occupiers as to their application .
During the last 18 months, continual efforts have been
made by the Inspectors to encourage the proprietors to bring
their shops and restaurants etc. up to a standard approaching
that required by the Regulations,and a substantial improvement
has resulted generally. However, experience has shown that there
are frequently limitations to what can reasonably be required
because of (a) the character and tradition of the business, and
(b) the size and construction of the premises.
The essential requirements of cleanliness of both
premises and staff has, of course, been enforced but the measures
for the prevention of food contamination in its less obvious
forms - bacteriologicial contamination - have been difficult to
apply. These measures would include:—
(a) The protection of open food exposed, for example on
shop counters and self service displays, in shop windows, on
buffet counters of licensed premises, in restaurants, cafes and
cafeterias.
(b) The storage of certain foods, not for immediate
consumption, at temperatures prohibiting the growth of bacteria
and development of toxins.
Section 8 of the Regulations requires (inter alia)
that "open" food shall not be placed as to involve any risk of
contamination. Whilst we endeavour to interpret this Regulation
in a commonsense and practical manner, recent court decisions,
including one in the High Court, have laid down that the law
obliges a local authority to prove that the contamination is
prejudicial to health. This is fraught with difficulty and
renders the prospect of successful legal proceedings in respect
of food contamination an extremely hazardous and costly matter.
As I have stated previously, the question of the temperature
at which certain foods is to be kept (vide S,25) is very
difficult to apply in many types of premises, in particular,
licensed houses with buffets.
Underground bakehouses. One further basement bakehouse was
closed during the year. The Certificate of Suitability relating
to 98, West End Lane expired on the 30th September, 1957. This
bakehouse was first registered in 1903.