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V. INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
The Port of London Health Authority made representations to the
Minister of Health during the year concerning the boundaries of that
Authority and its functions in relation to imported food, and contended
that it should have the powers of a food and drugs authority throughout
the area of the Port of London, Several meetings of officers of the
riparian authorities took place to consider these representations by the
Port Health Authority for extension of powers, and a meeting called by
the Minister of Health of all the interested parties was also attended
late in the year. The matter was still under consideration at the end
of the year.
The Food Standards Committee which advises the Minister of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food and the Minister of Health on the exercise of their
powers under the Food and Drugs Acts to control the composition, description,
labelling and advertising of food for the protection of the consumer,
issued a report during the year recommending that standards of minimum
meat content should be laid down for meat pies and meat and vegetable pies.
Other reports published by the Committee were concerned with the Antioxidant
in Food Regulations 1958 and the Emulsifiers and Stabilisers in
Food Regulations 1962.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave notice that it
was proposed to make regulations under the Food and Drugs Act 1955 to
prohibit the addition of certain specific chemicals to raw or unprocessed
meat; it was also stated that the Food Standards Committee had been asked
to examine the leakage of chemicals from food containers, packing materials
and pointing into the food.
The Council supported representations made by another borough council
to the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee to seek powers for
the compulsory registration of all premises where food is handled.
The sampling of glucose and invert sugar ceased to be carried out
by H.M. Customs and Excise on 1st October this year, from which date it
became the duty of the Food and Drugs Authority.
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1962, which prohibits the
peeling of onions undertaken in connection with a food business on
domestic premises, came into operation on .1st January this year.
Pesticide Residues in Food
The post-war era has seen a large increase in the use of man-made
chemicals both as antibiotics in therapy against disease and as insecticides,
rodenticides and fungicides. It cannot be denied that immediate
benefit to man ensues from the exhibition of these artificial agents; .
however a warning note has been sounded by ecologists working in many
scientific disciplines. To upset the balance of nature in one field
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