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28
FOOD HYGIENE.
We have now had three years' experience in the administration
of the Clean Food Campaign in Ealing since it was inaugurated
by the holding of a Clean Food Exhibition in the autumn of 1949
and it might be helpful at this stage to assess the progress made
during this period and to consider any further steps which might
be taken.
The scheme envisaged three main lines of action :
(1) the education of food handlers in the principles of food
hygiene.
(2) a systematic inspection of all food premises in the
Borough and
(3) the award by the Council of Certificates of Food Hygiene
to the proprietors of those food establishments which fully
comply with the Council's conditions.
Details of the progress made under these three headings are
given below :
1. Education.
It was realised from the commencement of the scheme that
the education of the food handler in the principles of food hygiene
was an essential feature of any campaign designed to ensure safe
food being sold to the public. It was realised also that it might
be difficult to attract members of the food trades to attend evening
lectures in their own time and if any success was to be achieved
in this connection, the lectures would have to be to the point,
without too many technicalities and the lecturers would have to
be capable of dealing with the subject in a practical and interesting
manner.
The first lecture was given in December, 1949, and since
that time the courses, each consisting of four or five lectures,
have been held almost continuously during the autumn and winter
months for the past three years. Whilst the syllabus used for the
first series has remained practically unchanged, we have introduced
film strips and flannelgraphs to illustrate the lectures and the film
"Another Case of Food Poisoning" is shown at the final lecture
of each series. We have found that the flannelgraph is a very
effective aid to the lecturers as also is the limited use of film strips.
Although the film "Another Case of Food Poisoning" may
exaggerate certain aspects of the problem, we have found it to be
an effective aid in bringing out many of the points the lecturers
wish to stress; this is especially noticeable in our talks to school
children.
By the end of 1952, 208 lectures have been given and a total
of 1,061 food traders and food handlers had received certificates
of attendance upon completing the course. We have a waiting