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A packet of cooked chicken and chips containing a cigarette-end resulted in the defendant
being placed on one year's probation with £5 5s. Od. costs.
Liver pate not of the quality demanded , contrary to Section 2(1) of the Food & Drugs Act,
1955, resulted in £10 fine and £5 5s. 0d. costs.
Following a complaint concerning bacon, an Inspector called at retail premises to examine the
stock and found bacon affected by maggots. Legal proceedings were instituted and a fine of
£5 with £5 5s. Od. costs was imposed.
In respect of some decomposing chicken sandwiches served at catering premises to customers,
the Court imposed a fine of £25 with £5 5s. 0d. costs. (See Table 29, page 78.)
Ice Cream (Heat Treatment) Regulations, 1959—Sampling
During the year, 101 (105) samples of ice cream were submitted to the Public Health Laboratory
for the Methylene Blue Test. The reports classified the samples in provisional grades, based
upon the method of examination recommended by the Ministry of Health, as follows:—
Grade No. of samples
1 40 (38)
2 21 (25)
3 7 (22)
4 33 (20)
Sampling included all types of ice cream available to the general public—brickettes, prepacked
ice cream, soft ice cream ready for service from the machine, material from ageing vats at
factory premises, and mixes received by the supplier before use in the ice cream machine.
It has again been evident from the low grading and high plate count of some samples submitted
to the laboratory that sufficient care is still not being exercised in the cleansing of soft ice cream
machines. This is a problem which devolves upon the management of specific premises and they
should ensure that a member of the staff carries out the cleaning procedure essential to the dispensing
of ice cream in a hygienic condition. This was markedly demonstrated by the Public
Health Inspector who, having on several occasions obtained unsatisfactory samples from a machine,
supervised the cleaning procedure himself for the education of the staff. He then took further
samples, all of which were placed in Grade 1. With changing staff at food premises it is perhaps
sometimes difficult to designate a particular person to carry out this operation, but it is important
and a matter which it is continually necessary to bring to the attention of those responsible.
Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959
Under these Regulations a local authority is required to keep a register of persons carrying on
the trade of distributor of milk at or from premises within their district, whether or not such premises
are occupied by the distributor.
At the 31st December, 1967, some 367 (359) distributors of milk were so registered.
Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1963 (as amended)
The City Council is responsible for the granting on application of Dealer's Licences in relation
to pre-packed milks sold under the special designations "Untreated", "Ultra Heat Treated",
"Pasteurised" and/or "Sterilised".
A Dealer's Licence permits the sale of milk both outside as well as inside the area of the licensing
authority. The numbers of such licences current in the City at the end of 1967 were:—
Untreated 74 (77)
Ultra Heat Treated 96 (96)
Pasteurised 353 (369)
Sterilised 246 (260)
Examination of Milk
During the year, 14(17) samples of milk were submitted for the methylene blue and phosphatase
tests, all of which were satisfactory.
Milk Supplies—Brucella Abortus
Brucella Abortus is the organism associated with contagious abortion in cattle, and its transmission
to man occurs through drinking raw milk. As almost the entire supply of milk sold and consumed
in Westminster is heat-treated, no tests to determine the presence of this organism were carried
out during the year.