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sentative organisations the Minister laid Orders before Parliament, the effect of
which was that from the 1st October, 1951, all milk sold by retail within the
London area must be special designated milk (that is, sterilised, pasteurised, tuberculin
tested or accredited milk from a single herd).
For some considerable time now only special designated milk has been on sale
in the Borough of Woolwich.
Public Health (Imported Food) Regulations, 1937.
Towards the end of the year the Council's Food Inspectors attended as necessary
to inspect imported food being landed from a ship at a wharf in Warspite Road,
Woolwich, where a Customs Office has recently been established.
As specific ministerial approval is required to enable a Metropolitan Borough
Council and its officers to undertake such duties, the Council decided to make
application to the Ministry of Food for the making of an Order permitting it to
enforce and execute the provisions of these Regulations.
Merchandise Marks Act, 1926—Marking of Imported Produce.
Before the war, Orders prohibiting the sale or exposure for sale in the United
Kingdom of imported goods, unless the goods bore an indication of the country of
origin clearly visible to intending purchasers, were made in respect of fresh apples,
raw tomatoes, shell eggs, dried eggs, dried fruit, oat products, honey, frozen or
chilled salmon or sea trout, meat, butter, margarine, dead poultry and bacon and
ham. However, as a general rule, imported produce does not require marking when
displayed for sale in quantities exceeding 14 lbs.
During the war the Marking Orders relating to eggs, bacon, butter, dried fruit,
meat and poultry were suspended, but during 1951 these war-time suspensions were
discontinued, except in relation to butter, which continued in force until May, 1952.
The market traders in Woolwich were informed of these changes.
Catering Establishments.
Details of applications for new catering licences are forwarded to the Department
by the Ministry of Food in order that the premises may be inspected by officers
of the Council to ensure that they comply with the Department's requirements
before the issue of food licences. The proprietors of a number of these food establishments
were required by notice to carry out essential work to their kitchens and
food storage rooms in order to bring them up to the required standard.
Hygiene in Catering Establishments.
During the year the Report of the Catering Trade Working Party was published.
The report recommended that all catering establishments should be registered by
the local authority as an essential prerequisite to any real effort to improving
hygienic conditions in these establishments.
The Working Party was divided on the exact form of registration. Some
members thought that a satisfactory prior inspection should be a condition, while
others were of opinion that there should be a right to registration on mere application
of intention to operate a catering establishment. In any case, powers to cancel
the registration of any premises which were unsatisfactory were suggested.
The Working Party set out suggested Codes of Practice; the Standard Code
contained essential requirements only, and it was suggested that this Code should
be legally enforceable. The Target Code set out what was considered necessary
for securing that food served in catering establishments was prepared under the
best practicable conditions, and was a Code which should be aimed at by all catering
establishments, although the Working Party appreciated that it could not be obtained
by all at once.
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