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tion of the occupier and the need for improvement explained, 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
biscuit 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
enclose.! and service is only made from behind a screened counter.
It is pleasing to report that during the past year, several of the
stalls seiling open food have been modernised to comply with the
Regulations.
As egards 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
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.
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