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Health advised local authorities that: "It was not con"templated
that the Regulations should be construed as
"requiring all butchers' shops to be provided with glass
"fronts and that the precautions which it may be
"reasonable to require under this provision must depend
"upon the circumstances of individual cases
"In no circumstances, however, should meat be allowed
"to project outside the limits of the wall or screen of
"the shop Where meat has to be kept near
"to an open window, the general rule should be that it
"should be covered with muslin or other suitable
"material, with the qualification that, in cases where a
"brisk trade is carried on, this provision may have to be
"suspended so that meat may be readily accessible."
In practice, I think considerable difficulty will be
experienced in attempting effectually to protect meat
from contamination by covering it with muslin.
The meat traders in Finchley, with two exceptions,
have provided glass fronts to their shops, and it is hoped
that similar provision will be made at an early date in
the two outstanding cases. Periodical inspection will
reveal the need or otherwise of such glass fronts being
permanently closed. In the meantime, where movable
windows are in use, the butchers have been requested to
close them in windy and dusty weather.
Cooked and Prepared Meats.
With respect to the question of the application of the
Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, to cooked meat,
etc., an announcement was made in Circular No. 604
issued by the Ministry of Health, as follows:—
"Article 2(1) (Definition of Meat)— The Minister's
"intention in making the Regulations was that, apart
"from the special case of bacon and ham, they should
"apply to what is ordinarily known as butcher's meat,
"that is to say, the raw and untreated edible parts of
"the carcases of slaughtered cattle, swine, sheep and
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