View report page

SECTION E
SUPERVISION OF FOOD
(In conjunction with Mr. W. C. Bartlett, Chief Sanitary Inspector)
The Government, being aware of the necessity for improved legislation relating
to food and food premises, issued a Bill during the year under review in which
certain material amendments to the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, are proposed. In
the main, proprietors of food factories and shops in the Borough will welcome any
effort which will result in cleaner and safer food being sold to the public.
In order to acquaint the public and, in particular, food handlers, with the
equipment and practices necessary to promote hygiene in catering establishments,
the Ministry of Food issued a handbook entitled " Clean Food." This booklet
should receive wide publicity, for it sets out in simple and readable language the
points to which attention must be paid by those engaged in the food industry,
particularly catering, in order to ensure a satisfactory standard of hygiene. The
handbook should be available to every person engaged in the catering industry.
The findings of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Meat Inspection, whose
report was issued in 1951, received recognition by the issue of Memo. 3/Meat,
which supersedes Memo. 62/Foods which was issued by the Ministry of Health
over thirty years ago. This memorandum contains the methods and criteria of
meat inspection recommended by the Ministry of Food for adoption by local
authorities and their officers.
The recommendations are divided into four sections :
Part I—giving general guidance for authorised Officers, occupiers of
slaughterhouses and slaughtermen.
Part II—dealing with ante-mortem inspection.
Part III—dealing with post-mortem inspection.
Part IV—action to be taken when evidence of disease is found.
Upon implementation, Memo. 3/Meat will ensure that the inspection of meat,
including the inspection of animals prior to slaughter, will be carried out efficiently
and prevent diseased or unsatisfactory meat being passed on to the consumer either
direct from the retailer or through the medium of manufactured meat products.