View report page

Preserved Food Premises
Premises registered for the preparation or preservation of food 207
Premises registered as fish friers/fish curers 73
Milk (Special Designation) Regulations 1963 (As amended)
Number of licences in force 339
Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations 1959
Number of dairies registered in the Borough 10
Number of distributors registered in the Borough 334
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Food and Drugs Act 1955
The following are details of prosecutions during the year under Food & Drugs Act 1955 or Regulations
made under the Act.
In 2 instances during 1971 food was seized by Public Health Inspectors and taken before a Magistrate
for condemnation. In both cases legal proceedings were taken.
In the first case a complainant brought a packet of butter to the office which had been gnawed by
mice and a subsequent inspection of the premises concerned revealed other packets in the same state. The
total fine imposed was £10. Proceedings were also taken in this case under the Food Hygiene (General)
Regulations and the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act (see below).
In the other case a Public Health Inspector, while inspecting a cafe observed food in a refrigerator
which he considered to be unfit for human consumption. In this case the Magistrates imposed a total fine of
£70 with costs of £2.
Following a formal sample, the packers of a product described as Ground Cinnamon were prosecuted
for selling a product not of the quality demanded. The product consisted of Ground Cassia Buds when it
should have consisted solely of ground bark of Ceylon Cinnamon. The Magistrates imposed a fine of £10
and an award of £5 costs to the Council.
Following this adverse report a total of 9 other brands of cinnamon were submitted for analysis. In
three cases minor adulteration was discovered and appropriate action taken.
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949
An occupier of a food business was fined the maximum penalty (£5) on two summonses for failing
to notify the Council that his premises were infested by mice and rats.
Preservatives of Food Regulations 1962
At the beginning of the year three butchers were fined for illegally adding preservatives to minced meat.
A subsequent survey of all the butchers'shops was carried out and appropriate action taken where necessary.
In the three cases that were taken to Court the Magistrates imposed two fines of £20 and one of£10
with costs of £6 in each case being awarded to the Council.
COMPLAINTS
Complaints relating either to the condition of food or to the fact that the food contained some foreign
matter were received in 100 instances during 1971. All the complaints were investigated and the following
prosecutions were instituted:-
52