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HYGIENE OF FOOD
Food & Drugs Act, 1955
The operation of the Food & Drugs Act, 1955, called for a considerable amount of work
in securing the provision of proper washing facilities in food shops. It is gratifying to record
that the initiative in the provision of these facilities was taken in a considerable number of
cases.
Food Hygiene Regulations
The Food Hygiene Regulations 1955-1956 have enabled the generally high standard
of food premises in the Borough to be improved still further, and have supported more
vigorous action in a few intransigent cases. Due to shortage of staff the principal and
important types of food premises were visited in the early days following the coming into
operation of the Regulations, the remainder being given attention as soon as possible
afterwards. On the whole the co-operation of the occupiers has been good.
Food Poisoning
The total number of persons notified as cases of food poisoning by general practitioners
was 17 in 1956. The results of bacteriological investigations of the notified cases are as
follows:—12 cases Salmonella Typhi Murium by bacteriological examination, 1 case confirmed
Salmonella Derby, 1 case notified as Enteric confirmed Salmonella Typhi Murium
and 2 cases food poisoning confirmed as Sonne Dysentery. All cases were individual and
widely scattered except that in one family five persons were affected—but the infection was
contained within the family.
Personal Hygiene
The free washing facilities in the public conveniences, which were brought into operation
in September, 1950, continued to be available throughout 1956. During that period, 5,000
paper towels were issued free, and also 3,887 linen towels, which are provided at a cost of
2d. per person. Both of these issues show an increase on the 1955 figure.
Milk
The following licences under the Milk (Special Designation) (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 Milk 21
for the sale of Pasteurised Milk 24
for the sale of Sterilised Milk 23
Supplementary Licences 20
Total 88
Ice Cream
The Ice Cream (Heat Treatment etc.) Regulations 1947-1952. As there were no
manufacturers in the Borough temperature control observations, as laid down in these Regulations,
were not required. Routine work was carried out under Article 4 of the 1947 Regulations
to check the conservation of ice-cream in cinemas. In one case observations had to be
continued.
Food Sampling
The bacteriological analyses of 150 food samples taken during the year, were carried out
by the Public Health Laboratory Service.
116 of these specimens were ice-cream samples, covering 9 makes of ice-cream, and
following bacteriological analyses the ice-creams were graded as follows:—
Excellent 60
Satisfactory 39
Doubtful 6
Unsatisfactory 11
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