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26
Unsound Food.
Approximately 25 tons of food were voluntarily surrendered for destruction and certified as being
unsound and unfit for human consumption. Details are given in Table 19, page 39. This is twice the
amount surrendered last year and the increase is attributable to one consignment of several tons of
imported cheese which was found to be mouldy, the surrender by a chain-store of their entire stock of
coconut marshmallows containing unsterilized coconut, and to the fact that a sausage manufacturing
firm have temporarily taken wholesale and storage premises in the Borough. No other large consignments
calling for special action were involved and when destruction of the unsound food on the
premises was impracticable, or the material was unfit for animal feeding, it was sent in bulk to a central
refuse disposal depot at Westminster.
Merchandise Marks.
During the year, seven instances were found of traders offering imported apples or tomatoes for sale
as " English " or without indicating the country of origin. Six offenders were street traders and the
other a shopkeeper. In each case a letter was sent indicating the requirements of the Orders and
warning that legal proceedings would be instituted for any future offence.
Milk.
There are 92 registered premises from which milk is sold and 17 milk roundsmen operate in the
Borough from shops or depots elsewhere.
During the year, 100 applications for licences were received under The Milk (Special Designation)
Regulations, 1960, for the five year period ending 31st December, 1965.
The average percentage composition of the 28 genuine samples of milk analysed was : total solids
12.44, fat 3.73, solids not fat 8.70, the legal minima being, 11.50, 3.00, and 8.50 respectively.
Twelve samples of milk taken at the premises of two wholesale firms operating heat treatment plants
were submitted to the tests prescribed for the various designations and all were reported to be satisfactory.
The Council's Bacteriologist examined 27 other samples of milk and all were found to
comply with the requisite standards.
Ice Cream.
Three premises are registered for the manufacture of ice-cream and 202 for its sale and storage.
Details of the classes of premises are given in Table 20, page 39.
Twenty-one samples of ice-cream were examined by the Council's Bacteriologist, with the following
results: Grade I—10; Grade II—5; Grade III—5; Grade IV—I. Chemical analysis of all these
samples proved to be satisfactory. Grades I and II are considered to indicate that the samples are
satisfactory but Grades III and IV call for further investigation. In the cases of the samples under
review which were graded III and IV they had all come from catering premises where ice-cream was
served from bulk containers which were intermittently opened and exposed to the air over periods
of up to three days. In addition it was discovered that the washing-up of the equipment used for
serving this ice-cream was not satisfactory. When these conditions were remedied subsequent
samples were reported to be Grade I.
Preserved Food.
Sixty 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 20, page 39.
Inns, Refreshment Houses, etc.—Provision of Sanitary Conveniences.
There are 94 refreshment houses licensed by the London County Council in the Borough.
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.