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For some considerable time now only special designated milk has been on sale
in the Borough of Woolwich.
Ice Cream.
Regular supervision of ice cream premises is carried out by the sanitary inspectors
and advice given where necessary, particularly to manufacturers of ice
cream.
A large number of new applications for registration of ice cream premises
are being received. Inspections are carried out of all such premises and alterations
and additions required where necessary before registration is approved. In several
instances it has been found necessary to restrict the sale to that of pre-packed ice
cream only.
The number of ice cream premises registered in the Borough at the end of the
year was 219, of which 17 were for manufacture.
Sixty-two samples of ice cream were submitted for grading by the Methylene
Blue reduction test. This test is a measure of the bacterial cleanliness of ice cream.
The time taken at 37° C. for complete decolorisation to take place is ascertained.
The samples were graded as follows:—
Time taken to reduce No. of Samples
Grade Methylene Blue. in grade.
1 4½ hours or more 32
2 2½ to 4 hours 16
3 ½ to 2 hours 11
4 Nil 3
Further investigation was carried out in the case of those samples in Grades
3 and 4. All the 12 samples submitted for grading in 1949 were graded in Grade
2, there has thus been a slight improvement in the bacterial standard of the ice
cream.
Forty-nine samples were submitted for chemical analysis and the fat content
of the samples was as follows:—
Over 20 per cent. fat 4
15-20 per cent. 0
10-15 per cent. 17
5-10 per cent. 23
2½-5 per cent. 3
Under 2½ per cent. 2
The average fat content of the samples examined was 9.1 per cent.
At the end of 1950 there was still no legal standard for ice cream. However,
Local Authorities were informed by the Ministry of Food that a standard would
come into operation on the 1st March, 1951, and that it was proposed to improve
the standard progressively as supplies of ingredients became more plentiful.
The provisions of the Ice Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations, 1947,
made under the Food and Drugs Act, had not come into full force during 1950
owing to difficulties of the supply of certain essential recording instruments. However,
from the 1st March, 1951, it is necessary in connection with the Regulations to use
such indicating and recording thermometers as the local authority consider requisite
for indicating and recording the temperatures to, or at which, the mixture is raised,
kept or reduced. This interval has been provided in order to give time, where
needed, to obtain special thermometers.
Meat Supply.
Slaughterhouses are subject to annual licensing and there are now only two
licensed slaughterhouses in the Borough, one of which is not being used at the
present time. The Council's food inspectors engaged on the inspection of meat
supplies at the Plumstead Abattoir, again had a very busy year. Due to the
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