Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Orpington]
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40
SECTION E.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOODS.
General.
During the year 1,352 routine and special visits were made
to food premises to ensure that the Food Hygiene Regulations of
1955 were being complied with.
The new regulations were brought into force on the 1st January
1956, and extended in 1960 to assist in reducing to a minimum the
risk of food poisoning by the stricter use of hygienic practices.
No serious contraventions were detected but the attention of a
number of shopkeepers had to be drawn to the necessity for the
redecoration of their premises.
However, the hygienic handling of the food itself is the real
controlling factor in the prevention of "food poisoning" as this
disease is generally caused by germ contamination from the human
body, and it is therefore vital that all persons handling open food
should be aware of this responsibility and pay attention to strict
personal hygiene.
In my opinion, the elementary principles of personal hygiene
should be taught in all schools at an early age and the present position
could be helped considerably by the featuring of Ministry
sponsored documentary programmes from time to time through the
medium of television.
It is pleasing to note that there has been little food and drug
adulteration during the year.
Food and Drugs Act, 1955.
Details of the 220 informal samples of food and drugs taken
for analysis are as follow:—
Formal | Samples taken | Result | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Informal | Genuine | Inferior | Adulterated | ||
Bacon | - | 3 | 3 | - | - |
Baking Powder | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Beechams Powders | — | 1 | 1 | — | - |
Beef and Kidney Pie | — | 2 | 2 | — | - |
Bemax | — | 1 | 1 | — | |
Blackcurrent Vitamin C Drink | — | 1 | 1 | — | - |
Blancmange Powder | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Butter | — | 9 | 9 | — | — |
Butter Sweet Confectionery | — | 3 | 3 | — | — |
Cheese | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Cheese Spread | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Chicken and Lentils | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Citroze | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Cochineal | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Condensed Milk | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |