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Cafes, Restaurants and Canteens
Improvement in the standards of hygiene in cafes, restaurants and canteens continued during the
year. Eight premises were provided with running hotwater, leaving 4 with an unsatisfactory supply. 32
defective and dirty walls were repaired and redecorated.
Education in Food Hygiene
The education of food handlers was given much attention during the year.
Lectures and talks, illustrated with film shows, filmstrips and bacteriological cultures, were given to
canteens staff, food traders, social and political organisations and school-leavers.
A "Clean Food Week" was held from October 12th—17th.
(1) A mobile cinema toured the main shopping centres, giving four film shows per day. The films were
"Another Case of Poisoning", "The Good Housewife in her Kitchen", and "Fly about the House', and
each show lasted about an hour. A Sanitary Inspector accompanied the van to introduce the films, give
a short talk on food hygiene, and answer questions. About 3,500 people attended the shows.
(2) 500 specially designed posters were displayed in shop windows and on public and private hoardings.
(3) 22,000 leaflets were distributed in shops, schools, libraries and from the mobile cinema.
(4) The Medical Officer of Health, Assistant Medical Officers, Sanitary Inspectors and the Hon. Secretary
of the Guild gave 24 talks to trade union, social and church organisations, the Chamber of Commerce,
mothercraft classes and school children.
(5) Public visits were arranged to a large food factory, a brewery and two milk processing dairies.
It was a successful Clean Food Week and shopkeepers and the public showed appreciation of the
work of the Guild.
The Public Health Department and the Clean Food Guild displayed two stands on food hygiene
in the Social Services section of the Willesden Show. They attracted a great number of people.
Food Poisoning
One outbreak occurred in a factory and affected 25 workers. The causative organism appeared to
be Clostridium Welchii which were found in specimens of braised beef which had been eaten at the staff
canteen by all the affected people, who speedily recovered. Instructions were given to the kitchen staff that
prevention of food poisoning lies in serving freshly cooked meat while hot or after cooling rapidly (within
l-£ hours); only refrigerated pre-cooked meat can be served with safety the following day, and meatstuffs
boiled or stewed a day ahead of requirements must be well heated before serving.
Contaminated Food
There have been more samples of contaminated food brought to the notice of the Public Health
Department. 20 samples of food with foreign bodies were reported by the public. A caution was administered
to four firms and the Borough Council prosecuted 2 others with the following results :—
Nail in cake Fined £3 Costs £3.3.0
Paper in loaf Case dismissed Costs £3.3.0
In the other 14 the foreign bodies were either not harmful to health or there was insufficient
evidence that the firm was responsible.
Food Unfit for Human Consumption
Meat. Miscellaneous.
Bacon 3,894 lb. Biscuits 10 lb.
Cooked 117 lb. Chicken 391 lb.
Tinned 3,454 lb. Chicken and egg delight 48 lb.
Raw 4,916 lb. Chocolate 11 lb.
Pisu Chutney 5 jars
Fish Coconut 6 lb.
Tinned 1,289 tins Coconut drops 9 lb.
Raw 593 tins Coffee 2 bottles
Vegetables. 1 tin
Tinned 5,890 tins. Cream 71 tins
Raw 122 lb. gried fruit 404 b.
Eggs (frozen) 35 lb.
Fruit. Egg yolk 1,224 lb.
Tinned 12,388 tins Fruit juice 28 bottles
Raw 227 lb. 49 tins
Fruit salad 802 jars
Bread, flour, cereals, etc 117 lb. Grapefruit juice 1 tin
Preserves 1,060 lb. Gravy powder 10 lb.
Cheese 78 lb. Ham (tinned) 829 lb.
Butter and fats ½ lb. Horseradish cream 24 tins
Eggs 144 Jam 4 lb.
Tinned milk 2,912 tins Lemon barley crystals 143 tins
Soups 233 tins Lemon squash 7 bottles