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53
(b) Domestic Food Consumption.
Report of National Food Survey Committee.
One of the most interesting features of this Report,
published in July, is the reference to the rising demand by
consumers of "convenience foods" (i.e. labour saving, prepared
or semi-prepared products), expenditure on which now
accounts for nearly one fifth of total household food expenditure.
A rise of almost 4 per cent in the real value of food
purchases between 1955 and 1959 was almost entirely attributable
to increased expenditure on such foods.
Additional purchasing power in the home usually results
in more expensive and selected foods, and this is reflected
by the modern tendency for many housewives to take up paid
employment which results in less time being available for
the household preparation of food, and thus inducing the
demand for the "convenience foods."
It is also interesting to note that food expenditure per
head rises fairly sharply as the age of the housewife increases
from 20 to 40, but thereafter declines. Also that younger
women spend more money on "convenience foods" than the
older housewives.
E(5) Food Hygiene.
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1960.
(a) There are now comparatively few food shops which are
without open topped refrigerated display cabinets, and in
the interests of food hygiene, the practice is admirable. In
this regard, however, the following three problems arise which
concern the Public Health Inspector, viz:—
1. The growing inclination of small traders to sell partpacks
of deep frozen commodities.
2. The loading of display cabinets over the cold zone line.
3. The difficulty of an Inspector being aware when a deep
freeze cabinet has failed to function at any particular
time.
Thus, to ensure that frozen foods are as safe as they are
claimed to be, regular visits by the Public Health Inspector
are necessary with a view to his being conversant with all
the intricacies of mechanically aided retailing.
(b) Code of practice No. 5 with respect to poultry dressing
packing was formulated by the Minister of Health and
he Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in September
with the approval of the Food Hygiene Advisory Council