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110
changes in personnel, very difficult indeed. The use of nonreturnable
containers, either of plastic or treated paper, continues
to be pressed upon the bottlers but consumer resistance and economic
factors act against the adoption of this remedy. Four of the
successful prosecutions instituted during the year related to dirty
milk bottles.
Instances of "dirty bottles" in the soft drinks trade are much
less prevalent. This may be due to the narrow neck of the bottle,
precluding any entry of many impurities and to the relative ease
with which previous food residues can be removed. Nevertheless,
there is a more positive move on the part of the soft drinks trade
to go over to disposable containers.
A more serious view is taken of the sale of out-of-condition
pies, sausages and other perishable articles containing meat.
Manufacturers have elaborate delivery arrangements to assure that
goods arrive at retail points in good condition and usually specify
a "shelf life" of 2 days or less. Complaints result when the purchaser
finds mould growth on the surface or in the filling. This
condition may not, in itself, be harmful but it is indicative of the
possibility of much more dangerous organisms having had time to
develop on the meat. Instances have come to light where the meat
pies have been in a shop or catering premises for one or even two
weeks. These cases arise from a mixture of ignorance and failure
to properly "rotate stock". In order to make retailers more aware
of their responsibilities and of the possible dangers, a letter was
addressed to each trader in the Borough in the spring, some 850
in all. The effect was to reduce complaints of this nature from eight
in 1967 to three for the year under consideration and prosecutions
from three down to one.