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Retail Food Shops.—During the year work has continued in connection with the comprehensive survey
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 58 instances.
Horseflesh.—Thirty visits were paid to the only shop in the Borough selling horseflesh for human
food.
Slaughter of Animals.—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. Seven inspections were made during the year.
The Public Health (Meat) (Amendment) Regulations, 1952, which came into force on the 31st August,
1952, extend the definition of " animal " to include horses, asses and mules for the purposes of Part II
of the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, which relate to slaughterhouses and the slaughter of
animals for sale for human consumption and require, among other things, prior notice of slaughter
to be given to the local authority.
Other Offensive Trades.—Apart from the slaughterhouse there is only one offensive business carried
on in the Borough, namely, that of tripe boiler. Eight inspections were made during the year, and
service of a notice, calling for cleansing of the premises, was necessary.
Unsound Food.—Forty-four tons of food condemned as unfit for human consumption included the
following : meat, 15 cwts. 3 qtrs. 21 lbs.; bacon, 4 tons 18 cwts. 1 qtr. 14 lbs.; poultry and game,
5 cwts. 1 qtr.; fish, 7 cwts. 3 qtrs.; fruit and vegetables, 2 tons 1 cwt. 1 qtr. 10 lbs.; canned ham,
6 tons 4 cwts. 2 qtrs. 18 lbs.; other canned meat, 6 tons 18 cwts. 3 qtrs. 3 lbs.; canned foods (other
than meat), 35,608 cans; miscellaneous, 1 ton 6 cwts. 1 qtr. 1 lb. Wherever possible, unsound food
was salvaged and used for animal feeding.
Clean Food Campaign.—Although most of 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, 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 greatly appreciate the activities of the local Clean Food Association in helping to bring
this about and in arousing interest in the importance of cleanliness of the food supply.
There are many signs that the general public are becoming increasingly " 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 third year of existence of this Association,
membership increased to 142 with consideration of a further 18 applications deferred upon the report
of the Medical Officer of Health in order that the persons concerned might do certain work or effect
other improvements in conditions at their premises to bring them up to the standard required of
members. This standard is relatively high and the policy is to keep it so and not to relax the
requirements in any way for the sake of increasing membership. Strict observance of the Code of
Practice is the sine qua non of membership of the Association—a fact which must be kept continuously
before every member of a food-handling staff—and it is gratifying to record that again no infringements
were reported during the year.
Continuing the programme of education for food-handlers, further lectures, illustrated by film strips,
were given by the Council's restaurant inspector on the subject of clean food handling. To meet the
convenience of employers and workpeople, these lectures were held, by request, both at the Town Hall
and at traders' premises at various times during and after normal working hours.
In view of the large number of synthetic detergents appearing upon the market and the claims made
for them by the manufacturers and others, the Association made special investigation into the matter.
A series of practical tests were carried out and the members of the Association were advised of the