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HEALTH EDUCATION AND THE CAMPAIGN FOR
CLEANER FOOD.
Details have already been given of the number of visits made
by the Sanitary Inspectors in regard to the inspection of food and
all types of premises where food is prepared, handled, stored or sold,
to ensure compliance with the various Acts, Orders and Regulations,
and the Council's By-laws for " securing the observance of sanitary
and clean conditions and practices in connection with the handling,
wrapping and delivery of food sold or intended for sale for human
consumption and in connection with the sale or exposure for sale
in the open air of food intended for human consumption
It is pleasing to place on record appreciation of the co-operation
received from food traders in the Borough in complying with our
requirements, but it should be realised that clean food is not wholly
concerned with structural conditions of premises. The most important
and unpredictable factor in food hygiene is the worker. Carefully
designed and elaborate food premises are not proof against
the careless food handler who fails to observe elementary principles
of personal hygiene. One employee in a food establishment—
by ignorance, apathy or mere carelessness—may jeopardise the
health of hundreds of people. The education of the food handler is
therefore the greatest single step that can be taken in producing
cleaner food.
Health education should not be confined to the adult worker,
but should begin at the earliest possible age at home and at school.
The general provision of school meals gives the educational
authorities an excellent opportunity to inculcate in children the
simple rules of personal cleanliness in relation to the preparation
and service of food.
A film strip projector has been obtained with the object of
extending the field of health education to include (in addition to
lectures) the showing to food handlers at school canteens and
catering and food establishments of film strips dealing with food
hygiene and the dangers of food poisoning. Unfortunately the
existing staff of Sanitary Inspectors are fully employed in dealing
with routine day-to-day requirements and there is little margin to
enable this important aspect of environmental hygiene to receive
adequate attention.