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are, firstly, as we live in towns we have very few opportunities of growing
or raising our own food; it may be handled by many people before we get it.
Secondly, many people nowadays take a meal at a canteen, cafe or restaurant.
Careless handling of food by a housewife in her own home may affect only her
own family, but when the same thing is done in a canteen or restaurant it
may affect hundreds. Still worse, when it is done in a large food factory it may
affect thousands. Thirdly in restaurants and food factories, food is often
prepared one or more days before it is eaten, which gives the time needed
for dangerous germs to grow in the food. Fourthly we have been driven to
accept a great many made-up dishes such as pies, brawn and sausage meat,
because of the poor quality of meat supplies fit only for " manufacturing "
purposes.
Germs.
There are two main groups of organisms responsible for food poisoning.
One group is the staphylococci—tiny germs which live in the noses of about
a third of all people, and in septic cuts, spots and boils. The other group is
the salmonella organism present in the bowels of animals and human beings.
When these organisms are present in food they can, under suitable conditions,
cause food poisoning. The conditions required are time to grow—a few hours
upwards; a suitable temperature—about blood heat or summer weather ;
moisture; and a suitable growing medium such as meat, gelatine, milk or
cream.
Symptoms.
The symptoms of food poisoning vary a little, depending on the species of
organism present; the main symptoms are vomiting, severe dizziness like sea
sickness, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, a raised temperature and a feeling of
wretchedness. The prevention of these illnesses can be achieved by ensuring
that the germs do not reach the food and that the conditions necessary for
their multiplication are not allowed to occur. We can withstand a few germs
present in food without ill-effect, but we cannot withstand an attack by a
large number. Thus food in shops, restaurants and bakehouses should be
kept covered as much as possible to prevent staphylococci reaching it from
people sneezing, coughing or talking over it. Hands should always be washed
after using the toilet because bowel germs can be conveyed to food in that way.
In preparing and serving food it should be handled with the fingers as little
as possible. Animals, especially rats and mice, must be kept away from food.
The time from the preparation of the meal to serving at the table should
be as short as possible, and the food should be kept in a cool larder, or better
still a refrigerator. Moisture should not be added to dried food such as egg
powder until the last possible moment. Special care should be taken over
meat and cooked meat products, milk, cream, cream fillings, trifles and layer
cakes.
During the last few years, my inspectors and I have put in a great deal
of work in trying to raise the standards of hygiene in food shops and food
preparation premises. The Food and Drugs Act gives power to local authorities
to require owners of food premises to conform to good standards. These
powers have been used freely and a great deal has been done to improve the
structural condition of premises and the supply of essential fittings like proper
wash basins and sinks. Still more has been done by persuasion and education
and the solicitation of the active co-operation of the traders themselves. Even
so, we felt we ought to try for standards higher still.
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