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57
SECTION E
SUPERVISION OF FOOD
(In conjunction with Mr. W C. Bartlett, Chief Pnblic Health Inspector)
During the year certain legislation affecting the work of the Department was made
or came into operation, including the following:-
The ice cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1959, consolidated and amended the
previous Regulations. Ingredients used in the manufacture of ice cream must be pasteurised
by one or other of the specified methods or sterilised and thereafter kept at a low temperature
until the freezing process is begun. It is an offence to sell or offer for sale ice cream
which has not been so treated or which has been allowed to reach a temperature exceeding 28°F,
without again being treated Certain types of water ices and ice lollies which are sufficiently
acid to make pasteurisation or sterilisation unnecessary are exempted
Advice on tests of the bacterial cleanliness of ice cream and the procedure for the
taking of samples is included in Circular 8/59 issued by the Ministry of Health in April
The Pood Standards (ice Creaa) Regulations. 1959 describe amended standards of composition
for ice cream and "PAREV" (Kosher) ice and introduce separate standards of composition for
dairy ice cream and/or milk ice Alternative standards are prescribed for certain other types of
ice cream
The Labelling of pood Amendment) Regulations 1959, amend the Labelling of Food Order 1953
by the insertion of a new provision relating to ice cream These provisions prohibit inter alia,
the labelling making or advertising of ice cream in a manner suggestive of butter, cream milk
or anything connected with the dairy interest unless it contains no fat other than milk fat
The Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations 1959. re enact with some amendments the
Regulations of 1949-54 The changes brought about by these Regulations include:-
1. The registration of Distributors is now required to be effected only with
the local authority in whose area the premises from which the milk is
distributed are situated
2 Provision is made for the local authority to pay compensation to a person who
sustains damage or loss from being debarred from certain employment connected
with cows or with milk because he is suffering or has been in contact with a
person suffering from a disease liable to cause infection of milk
3 There are new provisions as to personal cleanliness precautions against
contamination or infection of milk and the provision of first aid equipment
Circulars fsh 8/59 and 16/59 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries & Food gave
information of the products approved by the Ministers for the cleansing of milk tankers vessels
or appliances as an alternative to scalding with boiling water or steam
The Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) (Amendment) Regulations 1959, and the
Slaughterhouse (Hygiene) (Amendment) Regulations, 1959, respectively provide that the principal
Regulations which came into force on first January this year shall apply in London in the same
way as elsewhere in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food issued two Food
Hygiene Codes of Practice the first one dealing with hygiene in the retail meat trade and the
second with the hygienic transport and handling of meat The Council authorised the purchase of
a quantity of these publications in order that each butcher in the Borough could be provided
with a copy. Arrangements are being made for the Inspector to interview every butcher in the
Borough and hand him a copy of each of the Codes of Practice drawing his attention at the same
time to what is expected of him and his staff in order to ensure that his business is carried out
satisfactorily both in regard to his premises and the hygienic display and handling of meat by
those engaged in the business As the Minister of Health states in the foreword to both
publications these Codes of Practice have two broad aims that the condition in which meat is
handled should be as good as possible and those who have to handle it should never through
familiarity treat it with less than the care they would expect to have been given to meat which
they eat themselves.