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14
DISPOSAL OF SURRENDERED FOODS.
During the period from the outbreak of War, a modified procedure
has been adopted in regard to food unfit for human consumption,
which is surrendered to the Public Health Department.
Quite frequently, food which is not unsound but merely
unsaleable by retail is included in lots surrendered, and the total
quantities are examined with a view to as complete a salvage as
possible.
The Ministry of Food has a Salvage Department and in accordance
with an arrangement with the Ministry officials, the Public
Health Department advises them as to the condition of and the
categories into which the food may be placed. The food is stored
temporarily at the Town Hall Depot arranged for the purpose.
Disposal is arranged by the Salvage Officer, payment for the
food being collected direct by the Ministry of Food on invoice.
Food dealt with includes canned meat, vegetables, fish, fruit
and milk, as well as cereals, dried fruits and fresh and frozen meat.
On examination by the Sanitary Inspector, food is placed in one of
the following categories:—
A. Sound and fit for human consumption.
B. Sound, but fit only for manufacturing purposes.
C. Unsound and fit for animal feeding.
D. Unsound and fit for soap or manure manufacture, etc.
E. Unsound and for destruction.
Since the initial arrangement with the Ministry of Food in
April of last year, approximately 17,200 tins of various foods have
been surrendered, of which amount 15,000 were salvaged for animal
feeding, 1,750 for human food, while only 470 were destroyed.
Upward of 20,000 tins of milk have been salvaged. In this case
the milk was unsaleable following loss of condition, and has been
used for manufacturing purposes or animal feeding, while a small
percentage only has been destroyed.
The weight of meat dealt with, amounts to some tons, and apart
from a few cases where putrefaction had ensued following lengthy
time of transport, the whole of this material has been salvaged for
manufacturing purposes or as inedible products—manure, etc.
Where there is apparent waste or neglect of foodstuffs, faulty
storage, etc., such instances are reported to the Food Executive
Officers and proceedings have resulted from the transmission of such
information.