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34
At the commencement of the year a survey was conducted of some 100 grocers' shops in Westminster
by Mr. E.W. Kingcott, a Senior Public Health Inspector employed in the Food Control Section, in
association with his submission of a paper to the Royal Society of Health on the value of open date
marking as an aid to achieving efficient stock control. His paper which received wide publicity in the
national press and on television disclosed that in almost every shop surveyed one item of food was being
offered for sale beyond the manufacturers' recommended shelf life and that this practice was much more
widespread with small shops than with supermarkets. As an example 3,234 meat pies were examined in
retail shops. Of these 386 were more than five days old and of these 84 were more than 12 days old. (The
Practice Notes agreed between the Meat Pie Manufacturers Association and the Association of Public
Health Inspectors states that meat pies should never be sold after 48 hours from the day of delivery.)
Mr. Kingcott is to be commended for his excellent paper which the Food Standards Committee
acknowledged as a document of reference in its Report.
[Note — Although the above gives the situation at the close of the year, the Parliamentary Secretary to
the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food in a reply to a Question in the House of Commons in February
1973, stated that the Government had accepted the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee
that there should be regulations on open date marking to come into effect in 1975 but that in the meantime
date marking should be developed as fully as possible. It was mentioned that the coming year (1973)
would see the start of, or experiments in, 'sell by' date marking of almost all products where freshness was
of most concern to the housewife.]
Poultry Processing Premises
There are no poultry processing premises in Westminster.
Slaughter of Animals
There are no slaughter houses in Westminster, but in the grounds of the Zoological Society of London
for many years there has been a knacker's yard, licensed by the Council. The necessary licence for this was
renewed during the year.
Applications are also received from time to time from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals for Slaughterman's Licences to be issued to probationary inspectors. Thirty-six such licences
were issued during the year; they are necessary in order that the inspectors concerned can commence
training as slaughtermen and receive from the Society practical training and instruction in modern methods
of humane slaughter.
Two annual licences were renewed for members of the Society's Headquarters staff.
Diseases of Animals Act 1950 and Other Acts Relating to Animals
Under an arrangement entered into in 1965 the Corporation of the City of London acts on an agency
basis on behalf of the Westminster City Council in connection with duties under the Diseases of Animals,
Riding Establishments, Performing Animals, Pet Animals, and Animal Boarding Establishments Acts where
veterinary services are involved. Veterinary officers of the Corporation of London undertake routine
inspection of animals in transit and inspections for licensing purposes under the Riding Establishments
Act, together with inspections specially requested by the Medical Officer of Health of Westminster. All
other necessary inspections are made by the public health inspectors. The Corporation issues any notices
and advertisements which may be required under these Acts but licensing and registration of the persons
concerned and any premises used which are in Westminster is undertaken by the City Council.
Pharmacy and Poisons Acts 1933 and 1941
At the end of the year the names of 126 (109) traders were on the Council's list of persons entitled to
sell poisons included in Part II of the poisons list, the number of premises concerned being 154 (146).