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37
Washing up in Eating Places. Licensing of all Ealing Places advocated.
The New Zealand code contains the following: —
"In every bar, restaurant, dining-room, tea-room, refreshment stall or booth, and in
"every place where food or drink is sold, all drinking vessels and other table appliances
"shall be thoroughly washed after use, and shall be kept clean; and no such vessel or
"appliance shall be deemed to be thoroughly washed unless all traces of food or foreign
"matter have been removed from it, and it has then been rinsed in clean hot water, or
"washed in some other approved manner. In this clause 'hot water' means water of such
"temperature that all grease and fat is at once liquefied and removed from the surface of
"articles which arc plunged therein."
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that all restaurants (including those in hotels) and
eating houses should be licensed by local sanitary authorities. With some of the restaurants,
especially the high class restaurants, the inspection showed that very little fault, if any,
could be found. It is just these places that are willing to accept voluntary registration
which ill their case is little more than a formality; such a system of registration is therefore
of very little value, except that it brings the sanitary staff in contact with the work of the
leaders of this occupation and assists the sanitary staff to form a standard of efficiency.
Such legislation is in force in America and Canada. For instance, in Minneapolis an
Ordinance was published on the 17th July, 1922, dealing with the inspection of hotels,
restaurants, cafes, boarding-houses, inns, taverns, meat-markets, mercantile establishments,
and all places offering for sale or selling any food or drink. The Ordinance provides for
licensing of all such traders. Regulations under the Ordinance deal with the care of stores
and equipment, plumbing, refrigeration, and care of utensils, care of persons, and the
storage and care of foodstuffs. Again, in Winnipeg regulations require in places where
food is sold for consumption on the premises that cups, saucers, plates, glasses, knives, spoons
and forks, and other utensils shall be cleansed in boiling water after use, and the use of
cold or dirty water for washing such utensils is prohibited; moreover, a building may not be
used for the preparation of food until certified as suitable by the Health Officer.
Food Standards—The position in England and Wales.
In 1913 the Government in this country introduced a Sale of Food and Drugs Bill to set
up standards of quality and purity of food, but it was far from an agreed measure and failed
to pass. In 1914 the President of the Local Government Board on being asked when he
proposed to reintroduce the Bill replied: "when one lias an opportunity."
The essential items in the Bill read as follows :—
The Local Government Board may, after such inquiry as they think necessary, make
regulations defining an article of food in any matter affecting its nature, substance
or quality. Any article sold which does not comply with such regulations shall be deemed
not to be of the nature, substance and quality of the article demanded and to be sold to the
purchaser to his prejudice. The same is to apply to imported articles referred to in Section 1
of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, i.e., margarine, margarine cheese, adulterated or
impoverished milk or cream, any adulterated or impoverished article of food to which His
Majesty may by Order in Council direct that this section shall be applied unless the same be
imported in packages or receptacles conspicuously marked with a name or inscription that
the article has been so treated.
The sale of articles manufactured, prepared or treated in any manner prohibited by the
Regulations is to be an offence.
Austria.
In framing these standards the experience of Austria and the States of the Commonwealth
of Australia will have to be taken into account.