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40
SECTION E.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOODS.
General.
The Food and Drugs Act 1955 came into operation on the
1st January, 1956. This Act repeals the Amendment Act 1954 and
consolidates it together with the Food and Drugs Act 1938> the
Food and Drugs (Milk, Dairies and Artificial Cream) Act 1950,
and certain sections of the Slaughterhouses Act 1954 and of The
Slaughter of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954.
In addition, the Food Hygiene Regulations 1955 made under
Sections 13 and 123 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 came into
force on the 1st January, 1956 but certains provisions which related
to alterations to premises or equipment were deferred until 1st July,
1956.
The main changes in the new regulations on the previous law
related to:—
(1) Specific requirements designed to prevent the contamination of
food.
(2) Provision of sinks or other facilities for washing food and equipment.
(3) Provision of a constant supply of hot water for sinks, wash basins,
etc., in food premises.
(4) Restrictions on the preparation and packing of food in or about
domestic premises.
(5) The conditions under which certain foods that provide a particularly
favourable medium for food poisoning organisms are to be
kept in food premises.
(6) A requirement to provide vehicles used for the transport of meat
with duck-boards and separate receptacles for offal, and, where
the vehicles are not enclosed, a covering supported by a frame
or poles.
(7) The circumstances in which persons carrying meat are required
to wear overalls and head coverings.
As briefly mentioned in my last Report, all food premises were
visited by the District Inspectors and the proprietors were given
a stencilled extract of the new regulations setting out in the main
the requirements additional to previous legislation. This initial
visit was followed up shortly afterwards and a detailed inspection
was made of all food premises, after which a letter was forwarded
to the proprietors in which was set out in detail the works
necessary at their premises in order to comply with the new
regulations. Further visits were then made, and it is very pleasing
to report that the response was excellent.
Set out later in this Report is a detailed list of the various
works carried out.