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55
A cigarette-end found in a fruit pie was the subject of a further prosecution.
The defendant Company entered a plea of 'Guilty' and the
offence resulted in a fine of £10 and £5 5s. costs.
Several complaints were received during the year concerning perishable
foodstuffs affected by mould growth. Careless handling or storage, or
retention beyond the time limit recommended by the manufacturers,
sometimes leads to the presence of mould. In this respect, the recommendations
of the Food Manufacturers Federation Incorporated, in
relation to the care and handling of meat pies, has been promulgated in
brochure form by at least one manufacturer, and copies are available for
the Company's customers. This action it to be commended.
Food Poisoning
Only twenty notifications of food poisoning were received during 1961
in respect of Westminster residents; six of these persons were admitted
to hospital for treatment.
Five of the notifications related to members of four families, living in
close proximity to one another, who met socially for meals in each other's
homes. Investigations covering several weeks failed to determine the
food responsible although salmonella typhimurium organisms were found
in faecal specimens.
The remaining notifications were in respect of individual cases.
Enquiries were undertaken in each case but without conclusive results.
Several other outbreaks came to the notice of the public health
department during the year involving a number of persons who suffered
mild food poisoning symptoms, and almost all of whom lived outside
Westminster. In only three cases was the causative organism traced.
Codes of Practice—Poultry
A Food Hygiene Code of Practice was published during the year,
issued jointly by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food.
The Code was entitled 'Poultry Dressing and Packing'. Copies were
sent by the City Council to those engaged in the poultry trade in
Westminster, with a request that the contents of the publication should
be brought to the attention of those concerned in poultry dressing and
packing.
This follows the practice carried out in previous years when Codes
of Practice concerning the butchery and fish trades were published.