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35
The campaign commenced with an inaugural meeting at the Town
Hall in April to which owners and managers of food shops together with
their assistants, educationalists, members of adult organisations and
other interested members of the public were invited. The general plan
of the campaign was outlined and the principal speaker was Dr. Robert
Sutherland, an expert on health education.
The borough was divided into four areas for the purpose of the
campaign and it was intended to hold in each area a course of three
lectures, each with a demonstration, for food handlers of the supervisory
grades and single lectures addressed to the junior grades in shops such
as shop assistants, waitresses, etc.
In spite of the fact that the inaugural meeting was crowded and
that every effort was made to publicise the campaign, attendances at
the area lecture demonstrations were disappointing and in consequence
meetings in certain areas were cancelled and in other areas were
combined.
As a preliminary to the campaign a competition was run for the
best slogans to advertise the subject and modest prizes were awarded.
The following slogans were used and were printed as double-crown
posters:—
CLEAN HANDS ARE ESSENTIAL TO PREPARE CLEAN FOOD
KEEP DIRT OFF THE RATION
INSIST ON CLEAN FOOD IN SHOP AND HOME
FOOD EXPOSURE—GERMS' DELIGHT; KEEP IT COVERED
DAY AND NIGHT
CLEANLINESS PAYS; SLACKNESS SLAYS
ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE PREPARING FOOD
A loudspeaker van was also used to tour the area of the borough
where the campaign was being held and this emitted messages on the
subject from the Mayor, the chairman of the Health Committee and
the medical officer of health.
Adulteration of food
The number of samples taken during the year under the Food and
Drugs Act was 1,016 of which 15 were formal samples and 1,001 informal.
After examination, the public analyst reported that 2 of the formal
samples and 5 of the informal samples were found to be adulterated or
below standard.
The percentage of adulteration amounted to 13.3 in the case of the
formal samples and 0.5 in the informal samples, whilst it was 0.6 of all
the samples submitted compared with 1.10 per cent. in the previous year.