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justifiably believe that there's no longer any excuse for the poor
food hygiene which wartime difficulties made unavoidable. So
they demonstrate dozens of simple, uncostly ways by which the
standard cold be raised—many of them things that are so
obvious that they're not observed—for example, wash your
hands before handling food ; don't handle the business ends of
knives and forks; don't shake dirty handkerchiefs over plates
of food, and so on.
One rather startling exhibit is of particular interest to
housewives. It shows two tea-towels, both of which have just
been washed. Both look perfectly clean, but scientific examination
has shown that one cloth contains harmful bacteria
while the other doesn't. The one that's really clean has been
washed in water that had a sprinkling of a new disinfectant
that sterilises but doesn't taste.
Another stand tells the story of milk, from cow to consumer;
and it goes on to show what happens to many milk bottles
before they're returned to the milkman. Dairies have to smash
thousands of bottles every week because they come back so
filthy that it's impossible to clean them properly again. There's
a model of an ideal ice-cream bar, whose equipment includes a
new machine that eliminates the temptation to the server to
handle the rim of an ice-cream cone. Many of the stands have
any amount of advice to shopkeepers, restaurant owners, cooks
and canteen staffs; and there's a good deal of emphasis on
that desirable improvement, wrapped food—a simple bit of
hygiene in which this country lags so much behind many others.
Among the more scientific exhibits, there are some fingerprints
taken from dirty hands and they've been analysed to show
what germs were on those fingers and the diseases which they
could have encouraged.
The whole exhibition proves that Ealing is well alive to
these aspects of public health, and what's even more important,
there are facts and photographs on view that show that in its
own area this local authority practises what it preaches."
The various lectures, talks and film shows held during the
Exhibition attracted a good attendance of local food traders and
members of the general public.
Following on the Exhibition, a series of lectures were arranged
for members of the local food trades. The course consists of five
lectures:
1. General aspect of Food Hygiene.
2. Food Infections and Food Poisoning.
3. Hygiene of Food Premises and Food Preparation.
4. The Individual Food Handler and his part in Food
Hygiene.
5. The Law and Food.