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Preserved Food.
Fifty-nine premises are registered for the preparation or manufacture of sausages or potted, pressed,
pickled or preserved food intended for sale ; regular inspections were made and informal action was
taken to remedy unsatisfactory conditions found from time to time. Details of the classes of premises
registered are given in Table 22, page 38.
Catering Establishments.
There are in the borough 1,121 premises of this type, details of which appear in Table 23, page 39.
During the year 2,093 inspections were made and 48 informal notices served. Many proprietors now
realise the advantages of mechanisation, particularly where staff difficulties exist. Washing-up
used to be regarded by staff and proprietors alike as an unimportant task, poorly paid and degrading,
so that there has always been a shortage of suitable staff for this work. However, the importance of
washing-up has now been realised and machines have not only done much to overcome the staff
problem but have resulted in cleaner crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils. Formerly the " washerup
" had not been legally defined as a food handler but this omission was rectified in the Food Hygiene
(General) Regulations, 1960. Caterers who still do their washing-up by hand have also realised that
crockery, etc., is not really clean unless it is sterilized. The special properties of detergent-sterilizers
are now appreciated and these are being increasingly used with obvious advantage. Regular inspection
and the co-operation of the caterers has brought about generally cleaner conditions in the storage,
preparation and serving of food.
Sanitary Conveniences—Provision at Inns, Refreshment Houses, etc.
Under Section 25 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1959, a Borough Council
may require the owner or occupier of any Inn, Refreshment House or place of public entertainment
(not coming within certain exempted classes of premises listed below), to provide and maintain in a
suitable position a reasonable number of sanitary conveniences for use of persons frequenting the
premises. If necessary the Borough Council may, by agreement, execute at the expense of the owner
or occupier such works as are necessary and recover the costs in the manner laid down in the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1951.
The classes of premises which are exempted are as follows:—
(a) those in respect of which a licence is in force under the Disorderly Houses Act, 1751, or the
Cinematograph Acts, 1909 and 1952;
(b) premises licensed for the consumption of intoxicating liquor on the premises;
(c) premises licensed for the public performance of stage plays;
(d) premises forming part of railway stations.
It was not necessary for any notices to be served under this Section during 1960.
Wholesale and Retail Food Premises.
Excluding catering establishments there are 592 of these premises, details of which appear in
Table 23, page 39. During the year, 2,243 inspections were made and 122 informal notices served.
One of the main faults found is the incorrect storage of food. Stock-rooms are often overcrowded,
or food is placed directly on the floor, thus preventing effective cleaning and exposing food to the risk
of contamination. In most cases the provision of suitable duckboards would improve matters but
there are instances where the storeroom is too small for the amount of stock which has to be carried.
Another result of overcrowded storerooms is that stock is drawn upon out of rotation and this leads
to the sale of food which is stale or otherwise out of condition.
Thorough and efficient cleaning is still difficult to achieve and lack of staff has resulted in the
employment of part-time cleaners who only concern themselves with cleaning away the easily visible
dirt and ignore the surfaces above and below fixtures.
Several complaints were received regarding dirty milk bottles but in some cases the complainants
were unwilling to give evidence in court. Despite the precautions instituted by the dairy companies
at their bottling plants there is a regular incidence of this type of complaint. Although offences are
proved in court and fines imposed and there is unwelcome publicity, nothing effective seems to be done
to remedy matters. However, the use of non-returnable cartons is increasing and their general adoption
as milk containers would do away with the need for bottle-washing, with its attendant risks of bottles
which should be rejected emerging from the process undetected. At present the cost puts them at a
disadvantage with the bottle but improvements in manufacture and in the speed of filling should
help matters.