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FOOD
THE FOOD AND DRUGS ACT 1955 AND THE
FOOD HYGIENE REGULATIONS 1955
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955, which consolidates, with certain
amendments, the provisions of the Food and Drugs Acts, 1938 to 1954,
and of the Slaughterhouses Act, 1954, came into operation on the 1st
January 1956.
The Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955, also came into force on that
date, except for those Regulations involving alterations to premises or
equipment or substantial changes in existing practices; these came into
operation on the 1st July 1956. The Regulations take the place of the
provisions in the earlier Acts as to rooms where food intended for sale is
prepared or stored, and introduce a number of new provisions as to the
hygienic handling of food and the construction and maintenance of
premises, stalls, vehicles, etc. where food is handled.
The main provisions of the Regulations are concerned with the cleanliness
of food premises, equipment, wrapping materials and food handlers.
Requirements are also laid down as to drainage and sanitary conveniences,
adequate lighting and ventilation, and the storage temperatures of
certain foods.
The Regulations are unique in that they are not merely punitive, and
are not mainly concerned with the service of statutory notices requiring
the correction of specific faults in the structure or decoration of food
premises. They prescribe the conditions which should be satisfied to
render premises fit for use as food shops or factories and in addition
give in some detail the practices which must be adopted by all food
handlers in the interest of food hygiene. Smoking in any room of a
food business where open food is stored or displayed or handled is now
a punishable offence, proof of food contamination being unnecessary.
Food handlers are required to keep themselves clean and to prevent
any avoidable contamination of the food. Furthermore these and other
requirements to secure the cleanliness of the public food supply are the
concern of the food handler as an individual whether he be employer or
employee and it is provided that against him personally will action be
taken for infringement. Hospital kitchens, private industrial canteens,
clubs and boarding houses are now subject to inspection. Many food
premises in the Borough were fully equipped and satisfactory before
the legal requirements became operative, and there is evidence of a
continuing improvement in the practices and conditions in many food
premises to a standard well above that now required by the Regulations.
Some matters still require attention, however, and among these must
be mentioned the need for improving the conditions under which food
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