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23
time absorbed by a visit may vary from a few minutes to
as many hours, but there is little doubt that the results
accruing from such work more than justify the time and
labour expended. In the absence of compulsory notice of
slaughter, many visits to the slaughter-houses proved fruitless.
Notice of intended slaughter is now provided for by
the Meat Regulations, 1924. These new Regulations
will also prevent the removal of carcases slaughtered in the
evenings until an opportunity has been given for inspection.
This is a great advance, although the inspection will need
to be made before 7 a.m. A considerable number of animals
are slaughtered in this Borough after the ordinary office
hours and the carcases are often removed to the London
Markets.
The new Regulations meet the suggestions made in
previous Annual Reports, and are very welcome. It is to
be hoped that the Regulations will prove a sound basis for
further improvement in the handling and preparation of our
food supplies, and that the experience gained by working
the Regulations will enable the provisions to be extended
in due course. Two common causes of food
contamination are overlooked frequently. I refer to
the practice of some shopkeepers who permit domestic
animals to roam at will amongst the foodstuffs, and secondly
to the still common use of old newspapers for wrapping
purposes. The high cost of greaseproof paper is no doubt
the reason for the continued use of newspaper, but it is not
a sufficient reason. Where greaseproof paper is used as
a first covering it is seldom of sufficient size, and the newspaper
is allowed close contact with the fish or meat as the
case may be. There is no need to detail the means by which
newspapers may' become soiled or infected. From the time
the newspaper is deposited on the doorstep until it appears
in the food shop the sheets are open to contamination, and
the only safe course to pursue is to avoid the use of old
newspaper and to use only new greaseproof and wrapping
papers. Perhaps Food Regulations will be extended at
some future date to cover matters such as these.
The following is a list of articles of food which were
condemned during the year. In the majority of cases the
foodstuffs were "surrendered," but in several instances
the articles were "seized" in accordance with the powers
conferred by the Public Health Acts. Legal proceedings
were taken against one vendor—see Page 32.