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The fact that some dissatisfaction is indicated with the state of certain City restaurants
does not mean that the Inspectors have been inactive during the course of the year under review.
On the contrary, the work of continuous inspection and re-inspection has been maintained with
unabated energy, but all their efforts have done no more than arrest the rate of decline. Unfortunately
there seems to be an impression amongst caterers that they are safe from legal action as
long as they remedy dirty and unsatisfactory conditions as and when requested to do so by the
local authority. At times caterers appear to be unaware of the fact that by allowing such conditions
to exist they automatically render themselves liable to legal sanction. Whilst one has
every sympathy with individual managers and proprieters they should understand that notwithstanding
the difficulties with which they are contending in order to keep their establishments
operative they cannot contract out of their legal responsibilities so far as the maintenance of
clean and hygienic conditions are concerned.
Having made critical comments on the conditions found in some premises it is not unreasonable
to expect critisms that the standards sought are too high, that they are impossible to maintain
and that they are unnecessary. This must be refuted categorically since there are really
no half measures when handling food and any laxity in this direction must inevitably lead to
trouble. Advice and guidance in trying to overcome difficulties associated with hygiene and
catering can be offered but the final responsibility must rest with the caterer not to allow adverse
conditions to arise.
CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS
Before establishing a new catering business planning approval must be obtained before
premises, new or existing, are adapted for this purpose. In order that the applicants for such
approval can be satisfied that the premises are suitable from a public health point of view and
that the various statutory requirements can be met, they are referred by the City Planning Officer
to your Medical Officer of Health. 73 such applications were received during the year as a consequence
of which 221 inspections were made.
FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1955
It will be seen that the samples purchased by the Sampling Officer constituted a representative
cross section of all articles of food in regular use and of 365 samples purchased during the
course of the year only 17, or 4.7%, were the subject of an adverse report by the Public Analyst.
Three commodities were the principal source of difficulty; pre-packed bacon, sausages and
lard. Two samples of sausages were found to contain an excess of fat. After correspondence
and discussion with representatives of the manufacturers an assurance was given that the recipes
were designed to give a fat free meat content of more than 50% of the total meat. The representations
made appear to have had beneficial results as subsequent samples were to be found satisfactory.
Difficulty was again experienced with the labelling of lard. Last year it was found that the
presence of antioxidants was not disclosed on the label. This irregularity was subsequently
rectified but now exception has been taken to the use of the word "Pure" when describing lard
containing antioxidants. Representations were again made to the packers and wholesalers who
have agreed to amend their labels by omitting the use of the word "Pure".
The question of indicating each of the ingredients of pre-packed oacon was taken up with
four separate packers and curers who in each case maintained that the ingredients, namely pork,
salt and nitrite were an integral part of the final product and that there was, therefore, no contravention
of the Labelling of Food Order, 1953. There is some substance in this contention and
after legal advice it was decided not to take any further action. The attention of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was drawn to this matter so that the position could be clarified
when new regulations are made.
The complaints made by members of the public have enabled useful investigations to be
made into the practices followed by various food traders and manufacturers as a result of which
a number of weaknesses and deficiences have been located and remedied.