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Milk.
The inspection of cowsheds, dairies and retail purveyors' premises is carried out by the
Sanitary Inspectors and during the year 620 visits of inspection were made. Four cowsheds, 18
dairies and 147 retail purveyors are on the registers. During the year 15 contraventions of the
Milk and Dairies Orders were remedied.
Under the Milk (Special Designations) Orders licences were issued as follows :—
For the sale of "accredited" milk 1 (1 shop)
For the sale of "tuberculin-tested" milk 7 (13 shops)
For the sale of "pasteurised" milk 18 (34 shops)
Pasteurising plant 1
The following report has been received from the County Medical Officer with regard to
the action taken to safeguard the milk supply in the Borough.
" During the year 1938, 60 samples of milk were taken from retailers in the district. These
samples were submitted to the Lister Institute for animal inoculation tests and in one case the
presence of tubercle bacilli was demonstrated. In this case the sample was traced to a farm in
Berkshire but the result of the examination of this herd has not yet been received.
During the year no cows were reported by owners as showing symptoms suspicious of
tuberculosis.
On the 1st April, 1938, the inspection of all herds in the County was taken over by the
veterinary inspectors in the service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries."
The advocacy of clean methods of milk production, handling and retailing continues but
will be successful only when it receives the full support of the general public.
Ice Cream.
A register is kept of premises in the Borough which are used for the manufacture or sale
of ice cream. There are 145 premises on the register and 465 inspections were made during
1938.
Bakehouses.
There are 32 bakehouses including one underground bakehouse in the Borough. The
Sanitary Inspectors paid 205 visits of inspection and 15 contraventions were remedied during
the year.
Slaughter-Houses.
There is no public abattoir in the Borough. Of the eight private slaughterhouses in the
Borough 4 are registered and 4 are licensed and there is one licensed knacker's yard. During the
year 472 visits of inspection were paid to these premises and 11 contraventions were remedied.
The humane killer is used for all animals. During the year 17 slaughtermen were licensed.
Inspection of Meat and Other Foods.
All animals killed in slaughterhouses in the Borough are inspected after slaughter. As
circumstances permit they are also inspected in the lairs previous to slaughter. During 1938, 698
visits to slaughterhouses were made for the purpose of inspecting meat.
Premises where food is sold or prepared were submitted to frequent inspection. At
these visits the premises and the food are inspected. During 1938 inspections were made as
follows :—
Meat 1,058
Fish 213
Provisions 73
Greengroceries and Fruit 230
Hawkers' Food Stuffs 44
Other foods 451
Food preparation premises 76
Contraventions of the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, are encountered and in the
majority of cases are rectified following verbal or written notice. Proceedings were taken
against a butcher for having in his possession an unsound carcase, for failing to give notice of
slaughter and for failure to notify the diseased condition. He was fined £5, the slaughterman
was fined £2 and the Council awarded five guineas costs.
Out of a total of 74 butchers' shops in the Borough 59 are provided with fixed windows,
4 with fixed and open windows and the remaining 11 have windows made to open.
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