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Complaints of mould growth related to a Jam roll, a meat pie,
sponge cakes, a cornish pasty, bread rolls, and pork luncheon meat.
The retailers selling this food were visited and their premises
and stock examined. Where necessary stale stock was withdrawn
from sale and destroyed.
Other complaints dealt with included alleged unfit meat,
cheese, corned beef, sausage rolls, blackcurrant tarts, and steak
(thought by complainant (incorrectly) to be cats meat).
It was found during the investigations that both manufacturers
and retailers of foodstuffs were as anxious as the Pood
Inspectors to see that all steps possible were taken to ensure
that similar oomplaints did not occur in future.
MEAT INSPECTION
An event of national and historic importance in the field of
meat inspection took place on the 1st October, when for the very
first time in this country it became a statutory requirement for
local authorities to inspect all carcase meat intended for human
consumption during the course of slaughter. By the introduction
of the new Meat Inspection Regulations, 1963 it is hoped to obtain
throughout the country 100 per cent, inspection of all animals
presented for slaughter for human consumption.
It has long been the practice at Woolwich to carry out
100 per cent. Inspection of all food animals presented for slaughter
and for this purpose there are four Public Health Inspectors always
available for regular meat inspection duties. Should the occasion
arise through holidays or sickness other Inspectors are seconded
temporarily to maintain this service.
When carcases have been inspected and passed as fit for human
consumption they must be marked with a stamp identifying the local
authority and the Officer by whom the inspection was carried out.
The marking of all carcases passed fit for human consumption
appears at first sight to be a very small exercise in the process of
completing the inspection, but cumulatively the time taken up by this
additional operation during the course of a day In a busy slaughterhouse
similar to the one at Woolwich is considerable.
It has been found in practice that if the local authority's
mark is to be legible it is best to delay marking the carcases until
they are nearly but not quite dry.
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