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54
(C) OTHER FOODS
Food premises
There were at the end of the year in the district 229 grocers shops,
144 fruiterers and greengrocers, 133 butchers, 63 fish shops, 36 dairies and
172 confectionery/cafes.
Condemned Food
During the year 10,486 lbs of food were found to be unfit and had
to be destroyed. This was about ten per cent. more than the amount
dealt with in the previous year, the increase being almost entirely of
fruit.
Complaints
There were 25 complaints during the year about foreign matter in
food. Ten of the complaints related to bread or cake and four to tinned
or packet goods, seven to meat pies.
Warning letters were sent to those responsible.
Ice Cream
At the end of the year 365 premises were registered for the retailing
of ice cream, an increase of 4 on the number on the register at the end of
1955, of these seven are manufacturers.
295 visits were paid. 54 samples were taken. Grades I and II are
considered satisfactory; grades III and IV are not, and if repeated indicate
faults in practice. 47 were either grades I or II; seven were grade III
or IV. When unsatisfactory reports are received, enquiries are made
with a view to the cause of the trouble being ascertained and subsequent
samples are taken.
The 37 samples of ice lollies examined were all satisfactory.
Preserved and Pickled Foods
The Food and Drugs Act, 1938, requires premises where sausages or
preserved or pickled foods are prepared or manufactured to be registered
by the local authority. The number of premises now registered is 124,
an increase of two over the previous year.
Registration of Hawkers
The Middlesex County Council Act 1950 requires that any person
not being a shopkeeper retailing any food from a cart, barrow, basket or
any other receptacle shall be registered by the local authority, and that the
storage premises used by him should also be registered.
The number registered as trading in the district at the end of the year
was 56. Of these 21 were trading from storage premises in Harrow and
35 from premises outside the district.
(D) ADULTERATION OF FOOD
The Food and Drugs Act, 1955, which came into operation in 1956
is of concern mainly to Food and Drugs Authorities. Sections 83 and
84 modified somewhat the position of Food and Drugs Authorities,