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Food Preparing Places.
The special survey was continued by the Sanitary Inspectors.
There are some 285 premises issued with a catering licence,
and these include 33 school canteens, 14 hospitals, Nursing Homes
and Institutions, 121 Hotel? and Public Restaurants, etc., 25
Industrial undertakings, 70 Clubs and 15 Staff Canteens.
There is no doubt that as a result of this survey and the
co-operation given by the proprietors, that improvement in the
handling and preparation of food has resulted in spite of the
many physical difficulties associated with many of the premises.
Many of the kitchens are not well planned and are too small for
the number of meals served, so that the proprietors are forced
to cook in cramped conditions which do not lead to hygienic
practice. It is desirable that when new plans are submitted for
kitchens the advice of the Health Department should be sought.
The prevention of food poisoning outbreaks depends mainly
on the personal hygiene of the employees, and if this is practised
as a routine the difficulties of the lack of equipment and of suitable
premises can be overcome. One would like to see the
reporting to the Medical Officer of Health of all sickness occurring
among food handlers, for herein lies hope of good preventive
work against food poisoning.
MEAT AND OTHER FOODS.
Slaughterhouses.
There are six slaughterhouses recorded on the register of the
Local Authority. Two only of these premises are used at the
present time, slaughtering being carried out on behalf of local
pig-keeping clubs. As centralised slaughtering is still in operation,
no other slaughtering of animals is carried out in the area.
Annual licences were granted to seven slaughtermen under
the provisions of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.