View report page

two days' absence from work was the longest period of invalidism. Pre-cooked and reheated
minced beef was suspected to be the cause, but there was none of the food eaten at
the suspected meal remaining for sampling.
At the time of this incident a number of improvements in the canteen facilities and
methods were suggested by this Department, and the management of the firm agreed very
readily to all that was proposed.
Sampling of Canteen Meals
Difficulty occurs very often in the obtaining of samples for analysis of food which has
been suspected to be the cause of illness, so on the occurrence of food poisoning at a factory
arrangements were made that in future small portions of all food cooked should be kept for
24 hours in containers supplied by the Health Department ; each item, i.e. meat, pudding,
gravy, etc., to be separate. With the co-operation of the Divisional Education Officer
and the School Meals Organiser this same scheme was adopted for the School canteens in
the Borough.
The free washing facilities in the public conveniences, which were brought into operation
in September, 1950, continued to be available throughout 1951. During that period,
12,616 paper towels were issued free in addition to 1,645 linen towels, which are provided
at a cost of 2d. per person. As this is the first full year in which the scheme has been working,
it is not possible to assess as yet whether there has been any increase of the use of washing
facilities because of the new provision, but it seems that considerable use has been made of
the service.
On receipt of certain information concerning the possibility of easy infection of synthetic
cream since it is an excellent nutritive medium for germs, it was decided to take a survey of
all the employees in a large factory manufacturing this cream. A meeting was arranged
with the directors and staff, and the reasons explained for the examinations which were to
be carried out. All agreed to co-operate, and subsequently throat swabs, nasal swabs, urine
specimens, faeces specimens and nail scrapings were taken from management and employees.
The results of the bacteriological examinations were most satisfactory. No carriers of
infectious disease were found and the investigation gave the opportunity for a good deal of
propaganda on the rules of personal hygiene.
Milk.
Licences.
The following licences under the Milk (Special Designations) (Raw Milk) Regulations,
1949 and 1950, and Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations,
1949 and 1950,were issued:-
for the sale of Tuberculin Tested (Pasteurised) Milk 5
for the sale of Tuberculin Tested Milk 13
for the sale of Pasteurised Milk 22
for the sale of Sterilised Milk 19
Supplementary Licences 22
Total 81
Sampling.
Two samples of milk were sent during the year for bacteriological and chemical analysis,
which were reported as satisfactory. The bacteriological examinations are carried out by the
Public Health Laboratory Service.
24