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Catering Establishments
A great deal of satisfactory work was accomplished during the year for the
improvement of conditions prevailing in restaurants, cafes and canteens in the
Borough, and this has resulted in a higher standard of cleanliness and hygiene. A
total of 1,015 inspections of restaurants and cafes, and 299 inspections of factory
and school canteens were made.
Essential work to kitchen and food storage rooms was carried out at 170
establishments. Over 560 defects were remedied during the year. Instantaneous
water heaters to washing-up sinks were installed in 32 establishments and suitable
washing facilities for food handlers were provided in 16 establishments.
The occupiers of most of the catering establishments were co-operative and
willing to improve the facilities and condition of the premises. Notices were served
only when it was found that there was a lack of co-operation. Ninety such notices
were served during the year requiring certain work to be carried out and in only
17 instances was it necessary to serve a formal notice under the Food and Drugs
Act, 1938, to gain compliance with the Sanitary Inspector's request. In no case
was it found necessary to institute legal proceedings.
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 Council'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.
Dogs in Food Shops, Restaurants, etc.
During the year, some 300 notices over the name of the Medical Officer of
Health were issued for display in food premises in the Borough, requesting that, in
the interests of food hygiene, customers should not take their dogs into premises
where food is sold. The majority of these notices were given to grocery and
provision stores and to butchers' shops. During their routine calls, the Sanitary
Inspectors checked to see that these notices were being displayed. Several food
traders reported that the public had responded extremely well to this request.
Food Complaints—Foreign Bodies in Food
Forty-four complaints relating to alleged unsound food were received and
investigated by the Food Inspectors during 1952. Seven of the complaints related
to bottles of milk alleged to contain added water or to contain milk of unsatisfactory
quality. All these articles of food were found to be genuine. An object thought to
be dirt in a milk bottle proved to be "soft glass" and there was no contamination.
A bottle of sour milk was replaced by the retailer. Another complaint of dirt in
a milk bottle was substantiated and the Council decided to institute legal proceedings
against the retailer, who was subsequently fined £2.
Seven complaints concerned dirty bread alleged to contain the following
foreign matter : a beetle; a fly; string; dirt; mould, and wood (two cases). Improvements
at the bakery in question were carried out in a number of these cases, on
the suggestion of the Food Inspectors. The "string" in bread was found to be
dough. The Food Inspector investigating the complaint of a fly in bread could
find no evidence of contamination. Investigations into three of the complaints
relating to unsound bread failed to produce sufficient evidence for a prosecution.
Other complaints of unsound food received during the year concerned the
following articles: needle in cocoa; glass in cake; glass in cordial; mould on cheese;
fly in meat pasty; ants on cake; unsound bacon; unsound butter; unsound sausage
roll; stale sausage rolls; maggots in bacon, in nuts and in currants; unsound meat;
worm in pork brawn; unsound sweets; a nail in Christmas pudding. Eight of the
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