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35
Meat and Other Foods.
(1) Slaughterhouses. There are no licensed slaughterhouses
in the borough.
(2) Meat Depot. The Ministry of Food Meat Depot
in this borough serves the needs of the boroughs of Barnes,
Kingston, Maiden and Coombe, Richmond, Surbiton, and Wimbledon,
and the Urban District of Esher. It will be realised that a
very large quantity of meat and offals (frozen, chilled,
fresh or canned) passes through this depot each week.
Approximately 11,000 tons was distributed during 1946.
It is gratifying that the number of complaints
received regarding consignments delivered to retail premises
within the area served is very low. In most of the cases
investigated it was found that the complaints referred to
conditions which could not be ascertained before the food
was dispatched, owing to the fact that the articles were
distributed in the frozen state, as received at the Depot.
The tabulated list of condemned foodstuffs which is
set out on following pages reflects the importance of the
work of food inspection. Unfortunately, the total amount of
food condemned during 1946 was much in excess of that during
1945. In the main this was due to a higher canned meat
figure. One of the results of labour difficulties at the
markets is that food is allowed to deteriorate pending settlement
of the disputes. This means much extra work locally,
as all the delayed foods have to be thoroughly examined and
trimmed, where possible, before being distributed to shops.
The exceptionally high figure for canned meats was
due to the distribution of accumulated stocks held for
emergency purposes. The same comment applied to canned
fruits etc. In one instance over 800 cans of plums out of
a large consignment were found to be In a condition known
as "hydrogen swells". At the request of the Ministry of
Food the consignment was returned to the canners for
reconditioning .
Following upon a serious outbreak of fire at
business premises in the town, approximately one and a
half tons of foodstuffs were removed for inspection. Prompt
action in this case resulted in the saving for use of nearly
a ton of foods. The condemned foods are indicated at the end
of the following tabulated list.
Shops, Vehicles etc.
The hygiene of food premises is a subject constantly
kept in the forefront of the departmental activities. It was
not possible, however, because of shortage of labour and
suitable materials, for business houses to carry out desirable
improvements to food premises. It was difficult even to obtain
the necessary permission to put in hand normal works of
maintenance.
Apart from inspection of the actual premises, no
opportunity was lost to keep the attention of staffs of food
premises focused on the need to exercise the greatest possible
care in the handling of foods. Personal hygiene in food premises
is a subject which is receiving ever increasing attention durirg
the course of routine visits, and there is great scope for
improvements in the coming years.