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The two large slaughterhouses are operated by Wholesale
Butchers who supply meat to retail butchers over a large area and
also provide meat for the London markets.
Ritual slaughter is performed at one slaughterhouse in accordance
with the Mohammedan religion for the supply of mutton for
shipping crews and to meet the demands of the increasing Mohammedan
population in the East-end of London.
The Meat Inspection Regulations, 1963, came into operation
on the 1st October, 1963.
These Regulations now make it compulsory for every local
authority to ensure that 100 per cent. inspection of the carcases and
organs or every animal slaughtered for sale for human consumption
within their district is carried out by competent officers. The Regulations
permit the local authorities to make a charge for this service,
and this Council resolved to make the maximum charges allowed
which are as follows:— Cattle and Horses 2s. 6d., Calves and Pigs
9d., Sheep 6d.
When these charges were first introduced, it was not surprising
that the local meat traders objected to making payment on principle,
especially as they had had this service free for a number of years.
At the end of the year there was one trader who still refused to
pay the charges, and was appealing to the Minister.
This is the first time in history that this service has been made
compulsory and local authorities have been permitted to make a
charge.
Prior to these Regulations coming into operation this Council
had, for the past twenty years or more, considered that meat inspection
was an essential part of public health work, and the Public
Health Inspectors had always endeavoured to carry out 100 per
cent. inspection in spite of the long hours of duty involved.
These Regulations contain certain requirements that the meat
trade must comply with in order to facilitate the inspections.
They also contain detailed instructions regarding the method of
inspections and procedure to be adopted, and require the inspectors
to mark all carcases that have been passed as fit for human consumption
with an official stamp, this naturally places a great responsibility
°n the inspector.
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