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47
FOOD AND FOOD PREMISES
In order to ensure that food businesses are supervised systematically,
an up-to-date register is maintained of all premises where
such business is carried on. Supervision is governed mainly by
powers under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, and regulations made
thereunder but there are numerous other Acts of Parliament which
relate to specific types of food.
The supervision of catering establishments and premises where
food is sold, stored, manufactured or prepared for sale is carried
out by the public health inspectors in the Food Division. Samples
of food and drugs for analysis by the Public Analyst are obtained
by the public health inspectors of this division and a detailed
account of this work appears later in this section of the report.
The total number of food premises of all kinds on the register in
the Borough is 2,307 and during 1971 they were visited on 9,411
occasions. Details of the various types of food premises will be
found in Tables 9 and 10 which follow.
Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1970
These Regulations consolidate and amend the Food Hygiene
(General) Regulations 1960 and 1962, the principal changes in
requirements being
(i) raw food which has to be milled or refined to make it fit
for human consumption is no longer outside the scope of the
regulations (definition of "food", Regulation 2(1));
(ii) before food is offered for sale it must be separated from any
food which is unfit for human consumption (Regulation
9(6));
(iii) animal feed must not be kept in a food room unless it is in
a closed container that eliminates the risk of contamination
(Regulation 9(e));
(iv) any person handling open food (food not adequately protected
by wrappings, etc.) must wear clean and washable
overclothing, except in specified cases (Regulation 11);
(v) the business of packing or storing eggs, fruit or vegetables on
farm premises is made subject to certain requirements
(Regulation 33).
The separate categories of trade carried on in food premises which
are subject to these Regulations are shown in Table 9 which also
indicates the number of premises which comply with Regulation 18,
relating to the provision of washing facilities for food handlers,
and Regulation 21 which requires the provision of facilities for