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London County Council.
PREPARATION AND SALE OF FOOD IN LONDON.
Report by the Medical Officer, presenting a report by Dr. Hamer on circumstances
which require improvement in connection with the preparation and sale of
certain articles of food, and in particular of ice-cream.
(Printed by order of the Public Health Committee, 2lst July, 1898.)
Public Health Department,
8, St. Martin's-place, W.C.,
27th February, 1899.
In 1897, the Strand District Board had under consideration the question of the need of power
to prevent food being prepared for sale, stored, or sold in places unfit for the purpose. Dr. Allan, the
medical officer of health of the district, states in his annual report for that year, that his committee had
in view the sale of dripping in rag and bone shops, the manufacture of ice-cream, the storage of milk,
butter, butcher's meat, &c., in places where they could be contaminated by emanations from drains, &c.,
and that it was also recognised that places are often used as restaurants which are not at all suitable for
the purpose, or that they may be badly conducted as regards cleanliness in the kitchen or in the persons
handling the food. The Strand District Board adopted a resolution to the effect that all premises
where food is sold, or prepared for sale, should be under more efficient control, and that the London
County Council should obtain powers to make by-laws to provide for the registration or regulation of
such places, and this resolution was communicated to the Council. Later in the year the Board
informed the Council that as the result of a communication addressed to other London sanitary
authorities, nineteen of such authorities had expressed opinions concurring with that of the Board,
four were of opinion no action was required, and the remaining authorities expressed no opinion.
The Board was informed by the Public Health Committee that the question had been noted for
consideration when an opportunity for the amendment of the law occurred.
In the meantime Dr. Hamer was instructed to make inquiry into the subject, and I now
present his report.
Dr. Hamer inspected numerous premises in different parts of London in which food was
prepared for sale, and especially directed his attention to the circumstances in which ice-cream is
manufactured. His report shows that there is need of better control of the conditions under which
food is prepared for sale, and he expresses the opinion that much larger use could be made by sanitary
authorities of existing powers than is now made, but that it is desirable they should have an additional
power to require the removal of conditions exposing food to risk of contamination. Such
powers have already been given in the case of milk, and certain provisions with a similar object, and
directed against contamination of bread, have been in force for a number of years. There is no
reason why the conditions thought to be necessary in the bakehouse should not equally be thought
to be necessary in any place where food is prepared. A by-law made by the Council under
section 39 (1) of the Public Health (London) Act prohibits the construction of a water-closet so
that it is approached directly from any room, used inter alia for the manufacture, preparation, or storage of
food for man; but this by-law does not enable sanitary authorities to deal with conditions existing
before the by-law came into force. The opportunities for contamination were, however, found
by Dr. Hamer to be of varied sort, including the keeping of food in places obviously unfit for the
purpose, and the power which it appears would be most useful is a general power, dealing with cases
in which food is kept under conditions which may reasonably be regarded as exposing it to
risk of contamination. With respect to ice-cream the fact that considerable outbreaks of disease have
been caused by the consumption of ice-creams justifies a claim for more complete control than can
be shown in the case of other articles of food. The Committee will have in their mind the outbreak
of enteric fever in south-east London in 1891, which was the subject of inquiry on behalf of the
council by Dr. George Turner.
The Glasgow Corporation Police Act, 1895, section 28, contains the following provisions—
" In the application within the city of section 04 of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878, and
of the Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops Order of 1885 made thereunder, and of any other order made or
to be made under that section or relating to Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops, and of the regulations
made or to be made thereunder by the Corporation as the local authority of the city, the following
provisions shall, unless there be something in the subject or context repugnant thereto, have effect,
namely—
" Milk " includes ice-cream or any similar commodity manufactured or made either wholly or in
part from or with milk or cream ;
" Purveyor of milk " includes manufacturer and merchant or dealer in ice-cream or any similar
commodity manufactured or made, either wholly or in part, from or with milk or cream."
" Milk store," " milk shop," or " milk vessel," includes premises, shop, stand, stall, cart or barrow,
can, vessel, utensil, or other article owned, occupied, hired or used wholly or partially for the manufacture
or sale of ice-cream or any similar commodity manufactured or made either wholly or in part from or
with milk or cream."
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