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29. FOOD HYGIENE AND FOOD AND DRUGS ADMINISTRATION
CLEAN FOOD SCHEME
The Council's Clean Food campaign was continued during the year, 14 lectures
being given to a total of 85 food handlers, and certificates of attendance awarded to
those who completed the courses. In addition, two lectures were given by public
health inspectors to 80 members of women's organisations, and 10 to approximately
400 children approaching school leaving age in secondary schools.
56 Food Hygiene Certificates awarded to school meals canteens and other food
premises were renewed for a further year.
Four further copies of the Council's Clean Food film strip were sold to other
local authorities.
INSPECTION OF FOOD PREMISES
A total of 4,011 visits was made to the 2,282 premises in the Borough and
2,077 improvements were effected as a result of these visits. It was not found
necessary to take any legal proceedings under the Food Hygiene (General) Regulation
1960, in respect of these visits as the traders concerned all responded to informal
notification of the works required.
Table 14 gives details of food premises in the Borough.
MILK AND DAIRIES (GENERAL) REGULATIONS) 1959
During the year, 15 persons were registered as distributors of milk in
accordance with the provisions of Regulation 8. There remained on the register at the
end of the year one dairy and 159 distributors of milk in respect of 228 separate
premises. One pasteurising and bottling plant ceased operation.
The one dairy still operating in the Borough has up-to-date bottle washing
equipment, and 38 samples of washed bottles taken at random from the bottling plant
immediately before the filling machine were found on bacteriological examination to
be satisfactory.
In spite of all the precautions taken by dairy firms 16 complaints were received
from members of the public concerning the sale of milk in dirty bottles or in bottles
containing foreign bodies. There were nine prosecutions during 1966 for such
offences. One case was dismissed but in the remaining cases the magistrates convicted
and imposed fines and awarded costs to the Council. It is unfortunate that milk
bottles are frequently misused by the public so that adequate cleansing is made
difficult and often impossible by the normal bottle washing system.
THE MILK (SPECIAL DESIGNATION) REGULATIONS, 1963 and 1965
During the year, 15 new Dealer's (pre-packed Milk) Licences were issued,
and on 31st December, 1966, 158 distributors and one pasteuriser, involving 224
premises, were on the licence register.
Informal samples of miIk taken for chemical analysis, to ensure that the
samples were genuine and reached the required standards for fat and milk solids other
than fat, were also examined by the tests prescribed for designated milks. All
samples examined were found to satisfy these tests, as shown in the following table:-
96