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Talks on clean food were given to local organisations
throughout the year, stressing particularly
the part which members of the public can play in what
is undoubtedly a sizeable problem. Although
the Council possesses the powers of law enforcement
in regard to infringement of the Clean Food Acts,
and although the Council has taken action in this
field when action was required, this only represents
a comparatively minor solution to the problem.
In the United States of America, they have adopted
an excellent slogan "Protect yourself, yourself."
This means, of course, that unless and until we all
work together to effect much-needed improvement in
food hygiene, we cannot expect success. No one
would suggest that we should become a nation of
priers or snoopers. None the less, it will readily
be realised that Public Health Inspectors, with their
multifarious duties and small numbers can, with the
best will in the world, only devote a limited time to
food hygiene. The general public can and should
insist on the highest standards at all times and in
all places, and should cease to trade with those
establishments where conditions are in any way below
standard, and should let us know of any condition
which they consider represent a danger to the consumer.
If this co-operation was one hundred per cent, there
can be little doubt that conditions would improve.
This is merely a matter of simple common sense, yet
we know that conditions are still tolerated by the
general public which should never be allowed to exist
and which may never come to our notice. The relations
between the Public Health Department and the
residents of Friern Barnet have always been good.
Our aim is to try and impress upon the public that
we are here to help, but that we need their help.
The fact that conditions in Friern Barnet are good,
should never be allowed to stand in the way of
further progress. We all know that Friern Barnet
is a place in which it is pleasant to live; we
would also like to think that it is equally a place
in which food hygiene is beyond reproach. But, as
I have already said, until we can bo assured of the
fullest co-operation from every resident in the
district, this happy state of affairs will still
remain beyond our reach.
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