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This verbal intimation is always followed by a letter indicating
the nature of the offence and allowing the offender a period of
grace in which to comply with the Regulations. This procedure
has been adopted with a view to educating food traders rather
than to prosecute, and it appears to be paying dividends as the
general standard of food shops in the district has greatly
improved.
In addition to the inspection of food shops and restaurants
frequent visits are made to factory and school canteens and other
food preparing premises. The two main difficulties experienced
with the enforcement of the Regulations are (a) the protection of
open foodstuffs exposed for sale on stalls in the open market and
(b) smoking by food handlers.
It is extremely difficult to impress on stallholders in the
Market the real need for protecting foodstuffs from contamination
in the open air, but there has been a marked improvement
especially with regard to the stalls used for the sale of meat and
fish. Some concern is still felt, however, regarding the stalls used
for the retail trade of biscuits, cakes and sugar confectionery. It is
considered that the only way to ensure that the Food Hygiene
Regulations are complied with is to request these stallholders to
provide their own mobile stalls constructed on a caravan basis,
so that they are properly enclosed and service is only made from
behind a screened counter.
As regards smoking, the main difficulty is that this habit is so
widespread and ingrained and some food handlers, especially the
stallholders, do not appreciate that they should be subjected to
this prohibition whilst the customer is not. Few people appear to
appreciate that the reason for prohibiting the use of tobacco,
including snuff, whilst handling open food is that the habit
brings the fingers into close contact with the nose and mouth,
both possible reservoirs of food poisoning germs. The hands thus
become contaminated and the contamination is then transferred
to the foodstuffs.
During the past year it was necessary to prosecute one person
for smoking whilst handling open food.
(viii) Educational Activities
In addition to the routine duties of inspections and observations,
the Public Health Inspectors continue to give talks and
lectures to local organisations and wherever possible great stress
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