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HYGIENE OF FOOD
Food Poisoning
Nineteen notifications of food poisoning were received during 1959. Nine of these
were not confirmed bacteriologically, and of the ten confirmed, eight had been infected with
Salmonella Typhi Murium and two with the organisms Salmonella St. Paul. In addition,
two notified as dysentery and two notified as enteritis were subsequently confirmed as
having been infected with Salmonella Thompson and Salmonella Typhi Murium respectively,
and therefore, are included as confirmed cases of food poisoning. One case of suspected
food poisoning was confirmed as Salmonella Typhi Murium. The total number of
confirmed cases was fifteen.
The cases were widely spread and although various items of food were suspected and
some investigated no agent of infection was found in any of the cases. In one instance two
members of the same family were infected with Salmonella St. Paul and in one instance
two members of the same household were infected with Salmonella Typhi Murium and one
with Salmonella Thompson.
Personal Hygiene
The free washing facilities in the public conveniences, which were brought into operation
in September, 1950, continued to be available throughout 1959. During that period 8,500
paper towels were issued free, and also 4,081 linen towels, which were provided at a cost
of 2d. per person.
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 22
for the sale of Pasteurised Milk 26
for the sale of Sterilised Milk 25
Supplementary Licences 18
91
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.
Food Sampling
The bacteriological analyses of 249 food samples, taken during the year, were carried
out by the Public Health Laboratory Service.
197 of these specimens were ice-cream samples, covefing 9 makes of ice-cream, and
following bacteriological analyses the ice-creams were graded as follows:—
Excellent 113
Satisfactory 60
Doubtful 8
Unsatisfactory 7
38