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118
During the course of the year use was made of what is known as
'agaroid sausage'. This is a gelatinous substance made in the form of a
sausage on which organisms will multiply to a degree that enables
colonies to be seen by the naked eye within a matter of 24-36 hours. The
agaroid is used by pressing it on to work surfaces in a kitchen or on to
pieces of equipment before and after cleansing. The bacterial growth
which develops enables staff and others to see quite clearly the effects of
their efforts in cleaning. Similarly, impressions taken from the hands
before and after washing after using the toilet demonstrates evidence of a
kind which has a striking effect on those concerned and is yet another step
in the raising of standards of hygiene.
Complaints
The number of complaints received about the condition of foodstuff
or about the presence of foreign matter was sixty—twenty-four fewer than
during 1967. Bread accounted for fourteen of the sixty complaints and
pies for six. Ten of the complaints were the subject of action in the Court,
resulting in fines totalling £125 being imposed.
The foreign matter found included a rubber glove in pineapple, a
gramaphone needle in chewing gum, a rubber band in a doughnut and a
pencil in a tea roll.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Reference has been made in previous Annual Reports to the growing
importance of consumer protection and to the fact that much of the work
that is undertaken by the health inspector pursuant to the Food and Drugs
and allied Acts and Regulations is in this ever-widening field.
The visits that are made relative to the hygiene of premises where food
is prepared, stored, or handled, can be included under this heading.
Likewise, the sampling and the informal purchasing that is done in order
to ascertain whether the required standards of quality are being observed
or that false or misleading claims are not being made in advertisments or
on labels.
Resulting from the samples that were taken and the reports received
from the Public Analyst, thirteen incidents involving the quality or
description of foodstuffs were raised with either manufacturers or
importers. Experience indicates that the "trades" concerned are invariably
anxious to co-operate and to comply with the requirements of the various
Orders that are involved and the incidents coming to light were all dealt
with without recourse to statutory action. In matters concerning the
description and labelling of products that are being distributed over the
whole country, it will be appreciated that many authorities are involved
and dealing with points of difference is often time consuming. Nevertheless,
the effects of the Labelling of Food Order 1967 are becoming apparent and
will become more so as the years pass.