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Retail Food Shops.—With the completion of the comprehensive survey of restaurants and other eating
places, attention was directed to retail food shops and towards the end of the year a commencement
was made in the systematic inspection of premises used by grocers and provision merchants, butchers,
fishmongers, greengrocers, bakers and pastrycooks, and others selling food to the public for human
consumption. The object of this extended survey is to ascertain if the requirements of section 13
of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, are being complied with and to encourage a high standard in such
matters as construction of premises, light and ventilation, storage arrangements, cleansing and
redecoration, provision of sanitary accommodation, and washing facilities with hot and cold water,
towels, soap and nailbrush. A separate card index register is being compiled and routine inspections
will follow, and the opportunity will again be taken to impress upon proprietors and employees
the essentials of hygienic practice in the handling of food. During the course of the initial inspections
it was found necessary to serve informal notices in 16 instances.
Horseflesh.—Twenty-two visits were paid to the only shop in the Borough selling horseflesh for
human food.
Slaughter of Animals.-The Slaughter of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1951, which amends the
Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933, and implements certain recommendations of the departmental
committee on the export and slaughter of horses, came into operation on the 1st October, 1951.
The Act makes provision regarding the supply of water and food to animals in slaughterhouses and
knackers' yards and while in lairages awaiting slaughter, and amends paragraph 3 of the Second
Schedule to the Act of 1933 which deals with the fastening of the heads of certain animals before
stunning.
The only slaughterhouse in the Borough is that at the Zoological Society's premises in Regent's
Park, where slaughtering is done occasionally to augment the food supply for the animals in the
menagerie. Humane killers are used, and the licence granted to the Society's skilled slaughterman
was renewed. Ten inspections were made during the year.
Unsound Food.—Some 45 tons of food condemned as unfit for human consumption included the
following : tinned ham, 23 tons 1 cwt. 3 qtrs. 4 lbs.; other canned meats, 3 tons 5 cwts. 1 qtr. 15 lbs.;
meat and offal, 18 cwts. 1 qtr. 5 lbs.; bacon, 4 tons 10 cwts. 24 lbs.; poultry and rabbits, 2 cwts.
11 lbs.; fish, 1 cwt. 2 qtrs. 15 lbs.; fruit and vegetables, 5 cwts. 1 qtr. 2 lbs.; miscellaneous, 16 cwts.
3 qtrs. 24 lbs.; canned goods (other than meat), 14,854 tins. A large proportion of this unsound food
was salvaged and used for animal feeding.
The marked increase in the quantity of food condemned was due mainly to the large amount of
unsound canned meat delivered to food shops in the Borough during the autumn. In a period of two
months it was necessary to condemn more than 17 tons of such food, including over 11 tons of ham,
the bulk of which was of German origin. An examination by the Public Analyst showed that, while
the tins were not "blown" and appeared to be sound, the hams had been insufficiently processed
and the contents were unfit for human consumption. The Council brought the matter to the notice
of the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee, who requested the Ministry of Food to
ensure that the importation of unsound ham or ham of doubtful keeping quality from European
countries was stopped and that, in the meantime, adequate steps were taken to safeguard the public
health so far as existing stocks were concerned.
Clean Food Campaign.-Practically all the preceding paragraphs in section E of this report
(Inspection and Supervision of Food) may be claimed to refer to the "clean food campaign" from
the statutory point of view. Though much useful work has been dope in this direction, it is realised
that there are also other approaches to the problem which rely for their success on something more
than mere official action on the part of the local authority. They depend upon co-operation between
the authority, the food trader and the shopping public, particularly the housewife. The Council
fully appreciate the activities of the local Clean Food Association in helping to bring this about and
in arousing interest in the cleanliness of the food supply. The Department's educational services,
which are also directed to this end, have been augmented during the year by new propaganda features
which included a stand at the local civic exhibition, the use of "clean food" slogans on postmarks
of the Council's franking machine, and the circulation of a leaflet with the rate demand notices.
There is little doubt that the general public are becoming more "clean food" conscious. They
are more fastidious and are beginning to realise that disease can be spread by dirty food. This is an
encouragement to continue the campaign vigorously and to lose no opportunity of extending its
scope wherever possible.
St. Marylebone Clean Food Association.—During the second year of existence of this Association,
membership increased to 136 with consideration of a further 24 applications deferred upon the report
of the Medical Officer of Health in order that the persons concerned might do certain work or effect