View report page

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
However, on twenty-four occasions proceedings were instituted and the
results of the legal proceedings are given in Table 36. Many of the complaints
received concerned mouldy foods due in most cases to poor stock
rotation.
Recent publicity on the date marking of perishable foods has highlighted
the difficulties in this area of food control, but it is hoped that the Ministry of
Agriculture's Food Standards Committee will make recommendations that
will lead to a satisfactory solution of the problem
Once again a number of complaints were received concerning the unsatisfactory
condition of milk bottles. Many receive considerable misuse
by the general public but dairies have a responsibility to ensure that their
products reach the consumer in a sound and wholesome condition.
Unsound Food
All types of food are inspected to ensure their fitness. Frequent requests
from food vendors are received for the inspection of foodstuffs and fifty-two
tons of food were condemned by the Department.
Food Hygiene
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1960 and the Food Hygiene
(Market Stalls and Delivery Vehicles) Regulations 1966, provide for the
cleanliness of food premises and stalls, etc.
Two manufacturers within the Borough export food and to comply with
import regulations of countries receiving the goods, eight certificates of
fitness, which must accompany the food, were issued.
Registration of
Food Premises
Premises used for the manufacture, storage and sale of ice-cream or the
preparation or manufacture of preserved and pickled foods must be
registered by the local authority. There are 737 premises registered in
respect of ice-cream and 366 in respect of preserved foods.
Middlesex County
Council Act, 1950
Under the Middlesex County Council Act 1950, hawkers of food must be
licensed. Before the licence is granted vehicles and storage arrangements
are inspected to ensure they are satisfactory, and at the end of the year
fifty-one persons were licensed as hawkers of food.
Ice-Cream
The manufacture of pre-packed ice-cream is now mainly undertaken by large
organisations who exercise strict quality and hygiene control. In accordance
with the provisions of the Ice-Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations,
1959, samples of loose or soft ice-cream were submitted for
bacteriological examination. Any samples falling within Grades III and IV
as determined by the methylene blue test were considered to be unsatisfactory.
Traders with unsatisfactory samples were advised as to proper
methods of sterilising equipment, after which satisfactory results were
obtained.
Milk, Dairies and
Cream Substitutes
The Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1963/1965, require any person
producing, treating, storing or distributing milk to be licensed and to comply
with these regulations and with the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations
1959.
Producers' licences are issued by the Minister of Agrioulture, Fisheries and
Food through the County Agricultural Executive Committee. At the end of
1970 there were four such licences current.
Two premises are licensed by the Council for the treatment of milk and two
hundred and twelve premises are licensed for the purpose of distribution.