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57
Slaughterhouses and slaughtermen
There is one private slaughterhouse in the borough in respect of
which the licence was renewed during the year, with the proviso that only
pigs could be slaughtered. The premises were visited periodically by the
food inspector. 145 pigs were slaughtered and the carcases inspected
during the year. 1 of these carcases with a total weight of 164 lbs.
was condemned as tuberculous, and 80½ lbs. of heads and offals from
10 carcases were also destroyed.
4 slaughtermen's licences were granted during the year.
Offensive trades
There are no offensive trades carried on in the borough.
Food work generally
Mr. Thomas, the group food inspector, in commenting on the
year's work, states: "During the year we had, as in previous years, a
number of complaints of foreign bodies in articles of food and although
these are sometimes of a trivial nature they represent a lack of care on
the part of someone employed in the food industry and may indicate a
generally unsatisfactory state of affairs. It is pleasing to note a sharp
decline in the number of complaints in connection with school milk.
"There appeared to be a decline in the attention paid to food
hygiene on the part of the Press and there was a welcome cessation of
the popular comparison between the standards of food hygiene in
Britain and those of other countries. The conditions under which food
is prepared and marketed in this country are, generally speaking, as
good or better than those of any other. This is reflected by the very
small number of complaints received from the public and the fallingoff
since the war years of the amount of food condemned by the inspectors.
In all matters relating to food handling and food hygiene the
personal factor is of major importance. Facilities provided will be used
infrequently by the unsatisfactory type of person whereas the person of
clean habits will maintain a good standard without the necessity of
constant supervision.
"It will be seen from the report that the standard of the icecream
samples taken for analysis was well above the legal minimum and, of
the general samples, there was a fall in the number found to be adulterated.
It may be said that throughout the year the. food work of the department
was maintained and the results were satisfactory."