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Many of them have only rudimentary ideas of hygiene where food handling is concerned. The
stalls they use are often dilapidated, and most lack even the bare essentials envisaged by the Food
Hygiene (General ) Regulations 1960.
The control of this type of trader presents special difficulties. The stallholder himself is often a
transient character who after one or two evenings at managing a particular stall, moves on to
fresh pastures. The great obstacle to the successful prosecution of these traders has been the
requirement of the Regulations that it is the person 'carrying on the business' who is responsible
for contraventions other than those related to purely personal hygiene. Establishing the identity
of such persons has often involved protracted enquiries and investigations, sometimes without
any satisfactory result.
Prosecutions were commenced against fourteen of these traders towards the end of the year but
were not due to come before the Courts until after the period now under review.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food is introducing new Regulations, to be known as
"The Food Hygiene (Markets, Stalls & Delivery Vehicles) Regulations 1966", which will take effect
as from the 1st January, 1967. These Regulations lay down requirements as to food hygiene in
respect of markets, stalls and delivery vehicles. Markets and stalls are so defined that the Regulations
will apply to any handling of, or trading in, food which is undertaken either in any market or market
premises, or away from fixed premises. Delivery vehicles used for the delivery of food, if they are used
for the sale of food, will come within the definition of stall, and become subject to the appropriate
requirements for stalls. These Regulations revoke or supersede corresponding requirements
contained in the present Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1960, which, after the 1st January
1967, will continue to apply to food businesses in fixed premises and ships.
There can be few instances in post-war years when a new food enactment—and there has been a
continuous flow of Parliamentary legislation on this subject during this period—has had such an
impact on local authorities as have these Regulations. The revolutionary changes they envisage
have already been the subject of meetings and discussions between the officers of the various
Departments of the Council which will be involved in implementing these Regulations. Not the
least concerned will be the City Architect and Planning Officer who by his responsibility for civic
design and development may greatly influence the future of the costermonger in the streets of this
part of London. Considerable discussion has also taken place with street trading organisations
and their members, and with other interested parties, on the scope of these Regulations and the
extent to which each will be affected.
Food Hygiene—Complaints
It is a constant aim of this Department to use every opportunity to inform persons engaged in
the hadling of food of the hazards associated with ineffective or indifferent food hygiene. To this
end the Public Health Inspectors in their normal round of duties take every possible occasion to
impress on those concerned both the spirit and letter of the requirements of the Food Hygiene
Regulations. The continual change of staff with a continuous influx of Commonwealth and
foreign personnel habitual in the catering trade frequently nullifies much of this work, but even if it
only falls on a few receptive ears the effort will have been made worthwile.
Additionally, the Inspectors from time to time give lectures to catering personnel and managements
operating in Westminster. Some series have been held as often as fortnightly. Lectures have also
been given on subjects associated with food hygiene to students taking courses for professional
qualifications.
There are indications that the general public are becoming increasingly demanding in the manner
in which they expect their food to be handled and presented, and the City Council at all times
welcomes their co-operation in bringing to the notice of the Health Department incidents where
they consider the standard of hygiene to have fallen short of reasonable requirements. This increased
interest in the care which should be applied to the handling and serving of food cannot
but be known to those who are engaged daily in its preparation. If the public refuse to accept
conditions which they feel are short of the mark—and the trader thereby loses a potential customer—
this must result in the eventual betterment of the standards of those whose livelihood is dependent
on successful trading. The increasing dependancy on 'call order' kitchens—visually open to the
public—makes this type of restaurant particularly susceptible to adverse criticism.
It is, of course, not always an indication that a trader is indifferent in his approach to food matters
when a complaint is made to this Department affecting goods sold from retail premises. In some
cases the complaint is the result of something quite beyond the power of the retailer to control.
However, he often has to bear the natural indignation of the purchaser who may not realise that
manufacturers are sometimes to blame for unsatisfactory products. Inevitably, some proprietors
do not take kindly to complaints about articles purchased at their premises, or food served in their
restaurants. Whereas a conscientious proprietor receiving a genuine complaint does all he can to