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38
Richmond Clean Food Traders' Guild.
By the end of 1953 membership of the Guild had increased by
two to a total of fifty-seven which represents a percentage of 15.04
of the total number of food traders within the Borough and, while.
such a low figure is discouraging, it compares favourably with membership
of similar Guilds operating in adjoining Boroughs.
There are many non-members of the Guild whose premises are
in good condition and would qualify for immediate membership, but
it is still very difficult to get them to make application.
The premises of members have, along with other food traders,
received regular inspection throughout the year and have been kept,
apart from minor items of disrepair, etc., well up to the standards
required by the Guild and the various Acts and Regulations.
In the main the badge of membership has been prominently
displayed to public view.
There has again been very little business for the Advisory Committee
to discuss but the prospect of changes in food legislation
during 1954 may mean changes in Guild Policy.
Ice Cream.
Premises manufacturing, storing or selling Ice Cream have been
regularly supervised, a total of 178 visits being made.
Three premises are registered for the manufacture of ice cream,
but in no case is the additional heat-treatment method approved by
the Ice Cream (Heat Treatment) Regulations, 1952, in use.
A total of 128 samples were submitted to the Bacteriologist for
examination and of this number 114 were within Grades I and II
and considered to be satisfactory but 14 which came within Grades
III and IV were considered to be unsatisfactory.
In the case of the unsatisfactory samples careful inspection was
made of the premises, equipment and methods of storage or manufacture
and help and advice given as to the best means of effecting
improvement.
The policy with sampling is to take the greater number of
samples from premises which have produced unsatisfactory samples
in the past and to sample only occasionally those dealers who invariably
produce good results.