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requiring little if any additional financial outlay but placing greater
emphasis on the personal conduct and more important still, knowledge
and training in food hygiene matters, possessed by persons
engaged in handling food.
Hawkers of Food.
The registration of hawkers of certain classes of food has been
compulsory in this district since 1939 and immediately after the
Middlesex County Council Act, 1950, came into force the Council
adopted Section 11 of the Act to extend the registration of hawkers
to cover all classes of foodstuffs. The vehicles and storage premises
used by these traders are regularly inspected by the Sanitary
Inspectors.
In one instance the unauthorised use of unsatisfactory storage
premises was discovered. The hawker in question unsuccessfully
appealed against the Council's refusal to grant registration. The
use of premises continued and proceedings were taken with the
result that a fine was imposed and the hawker gave an undertaking
to vacate the premises.
Sampling of Food and Drugs.
(a) The sampling of food and drugs for chemical analysis is
carried out by the Middlesex County Council and the following
information regarding samples obtained during the year has been
kindly supplied by the Senior Public Control Officer :
260 samples were taken, including 118 of milk; 14 11 of
which were milk) were found to be unsatisfactory. All cases
except one, were dealt with by cautions. In this case
successful proceedings were taken.
(b) Miscellaneous foods, such as shell-fish, cream cakes, watercress
and meat products are regularly sampled by the Sanitary
Inspectors for bacteriological examination and the results are of
considerable assistance to them in their contacts with food-handlers,
illustrating, as they often do, that the greatest care is necessary in
the storage and handling of this class of food.
The bacteriological examination of samples of milk, ice cream,
water and miscellaneous foods is carried out at the Public Health
Laboratory, Ealing, and I am indebted to the Director and Staff
of the Laboratory for their ready assistance at all times. Details of
the samples submitted will be found elsewhere in this report under
their respective headings.
Food Poisoning.
Eight cases of food poisoning were notified during the year,
seven due to undiscovered causes and one due to Salmonella
typhimurium.
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