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31.
V. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION. OF FOOD.
Owing to absence through illness the normal complement
of 4 Food Inspectors? was reduced to three during the greater
part of the.year.
In recent years much public attention has been focussed
on the necessity, for adopting greater care in protecting and
handling food so as to prevent it from becoming contaminated
with those germs-which cause food poisoning.
In this country, during and since the war, many more
persons eat.meals away from home.in restaurants, canteens
and school.meal centres. Careless handling of food at heme
endangers the health, of one family only, but the same degree
of carelessness, in a.restaurant kitchen affects a much
larger number of . persons.
The result has been a considerable increase in foodspread
diseases, although Stepney has not been affected more
than any other part of the country.
In consequence the Ministry of Food has produced
'Model Byelaws for Food Hygiene.' In the near future these
byelaws for London will be adopted by the L.C.C. and administered
by the Borough Council.
To eliminate food poisoning due to the poor standards
of hygiene in catering establishments, the Ministry of Food
set up in 1948 the Catering Trade Working Party to make
recommendations for securing the observance of sanitary and
cloanly conditions in the catering trade. The Working Party,
under the chairmanship of Sir. W. Savage (former County
Medical Officer of Health of Somerset) took evidence from
catering trade associations, officers of local authorities,
representatives of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Food
and of various trade unions, and published its report on
31st January 1951.
Food is more likely to become contaminated when restaurant
kitchens are too small for the amount of work done.
This is particularly the case in "mobile" snack bars, which
are, unfortunately, becoming increasingly common in London.
The very low rents for bombed sites, the avoidance of rates,
and the extremely limited amenities and equipment enable
comparatively large profits to be made on a small outlay of
capital. These shacks and vans are permitted by the town