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(b) Meat and Other Foods.
(i) Meat Inspection.
Adequate inspection was maintained of all butchers' premises throughout
the year, and as materials and equipment became easier to obtain,
many improvements were effected. A total of 813 lbs. of meat was
surrendered as being unfit for human consumption. It was observed
that vehicles used for transport of meat showed some improvement,
but many of the vans leave much to be desired from a hygiene standpoint.
(II) Food Premises.
Inspections of food premises included 27 visits to dairies, 45 to
bakehouses and 1,611 to other food premises. Much attention was
paid to educating and encouraging "backward" food traders to
higher standards of hygiene, with a view to their inclusion in
the Food Hygiene Guild to be formed at a later date. The response
generally was encouraging, but much work remains to be done
before the position can be regarded as entirely satisfactory.
A source of much concern to the Department is the itinerant
food trader. Whilst the Bye-laws made by the Corporation lay
down certain measures to be taken to safeguard food supplies sold
in the open air, it is found that many of this type of trader are
not amenable to instruction, and after being cautioned their
"pitches" are often occupied by others of similar types on the
next occasion.
During the year a special investigation was carried out with
respect to the sale of dried fruit and mincemeat, which, at the
particular time was being prominently and, in some cases,
unhygienlcally, displayed in shops. Samples were submitted for
bacteriological and chemical analysis and were reported upon
satisfactorily, but the investigation did serve to bring to the
attention of traders the necessity for taking elementary precautions
for preventing contamination by flies and other insect
pests.
(c) Slaughterhouses.
The one licensed slaughterhouse in the Borough was not in operation
during the year.
(d) Bacteriological Sampling.
During the year, in addition to the 73 samples of milk, the following
samples were submitted for examination :
Ice Cream - 32. Milk - 73. Drinking Water - 9.
Bath Water - 3. Dried Mixed Fruit - 2.
3 samples of Pasteurised milk did not satisfy the Methylene Blue
Test, and Ice Cream samples were graded as follows
Grade I - 14. Grade II - 10. Grade III - 5. Grade IV - 3
(Total - 32
The samples of drinking water, bath water and the two samples
of dried mixed fruit were stated to be satisfactory.
(e) Ice Cream.
The impetus given to the sale of this commodity during the immediate