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23
Fried Fish Shops and Fish Curers.
Ten premises are used by fried fish sellers and one by a fish curer. Twenty-four inspections of fried
fish shops and twenty-two inspections of the fish curer's premises were made. Conditions generally
were found to be satisfactory and no notices were served.
Wholesale and Retail Foodshops.
Inspection of these premises, of which there are 620, involved 2,558 visits. Seven notices were
served but many minor infringements of the Food and Drugs Act were dealt with either by letter or
by verbal action. An increasing interest in food hygiene was noticed during the inspection of food
shops. This was to some extent prompted by the prospect of new legislation and a greater degree of
co-operation with the trade was achieved.
Bakehouses.
Most of the fourteen bakehouses maintained good standards and the comparatively few unsatisfactory
conditions found were dealt with informally ; 94 inspections were made.
Butter and Margarine Premises.
Three dealers in margarine and two butter manufacturers are registered. Fifty-eight inspections
of the premises were made.
Horseflesh.
Fourteen 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 a knacker's yard at the Zoological Society's premises
in Regent's Park, where slaughtering is done occasionally to augment the food supply for the animals.
Nine inspections were made during the year.
St. Marylebone Clean Food Association.
The Executive Committee of the Association (Chairman : Mr. H. A. Hale ; Hon. Secretary : Mr.
W. C. Moss ; Hon. Treasurer : Mr. D. W. Moeran), have kindly provided the following information
which is extracted from their report for the year 1955:—
" Membership of the Association.
The total number of members is 163. This is a reduction of six on the previous year. Of these,
two premises have closed, four premises have changed hands and the new proprietors have not
yet applied for membership.
Code of Practice.
We are again happy to record that no infringements of the Code of Practice by members of the
Association have been reported by the public.
Food Legislation.
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955, for which we had waited so long, received the Royal Assent
on the 22nd November, 1955 and The Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955, became law on the
1st January, 1956, with full effect from 1st July. It is gratifying to note that much of our Code
of Practice has been included in the new Regulations. Many of our members report that the
booklet explaining The Food Hygiene Regulations which the Medical Officer of Health sent to
all food traders in the Borough has proved most useful.
The Future.
The Committee feel that in spite of the additional legal requirements imposed upon food traders
generally, by the new Regulations, the Association still has something to offer and we are convinced
that the public are becoming increasingly aware of the merits of the "clean food " badge and the
high standard it proclaims. We recognise, and indeed continually emphasise, that to achieve
the high standard necessary to qualify for membership of the Association is in itself not enough
and that the all-important thing is that this standard should be maintained at all times."