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Retailers in the Borough were again reminded by letter of the need to adopt a
system of visual-aid coding when receiving prepacked perishable foods so that stock
can be withdrawn and destroyed as soon as its shelf-life is finished.
There were inevitably some instances of unusual happenings in the handling of
food. In one instance the housewife stewed some beef and found that the meat had
developed a bright blue colouring. She could find no explanation in her home nor
could the butcher offer any suggestions. However, enquiry showed that the butcher
used a "chinagraph" pencil, for marking meat prices on plastic labels. The crayon is
soft and a small piece must have broken off and have been picked up by the meat thus
imparting the blue colour on cooking.
A second episode concerned a prepacked slice of Brie cheese in which the housewife
was alarmed to find what she thought to be a rodent dropping. A visit to the
shop showed that several varieties of cheese were sliced for retail from whole cheeses
at a special table, and on the surface lay objects similar to that found in the Brie. They
were grape pips found on the outside of cheeses from the Haute Savoie area -— in this
case Tome au Raisin, and examination confirmed that the "dropping" was indeed only
a grape pip.
During the year legal proceedings were taken in 17 cases with the following
results:
1. A wholesale baker was fined £25 and the retailer fined £10 with £3 3s. 0d.
costs and £1 10s. 0d. witness fees for selling mouldy chocolate eclairs.
2. A grocer was fined £20 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling a mouldy pork pie.
3. A baker was fined £5 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling mouldy bread rolls.
4. A baker was fined £20 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling a mouldy cornish
pasty.
5. A wholesale baker was fined £25 for selling a Croissant roll containing a
piece of string.
6. A baker was fined £5 with £13 0s. 6d. costs for selling a rum trifle containing
a bolt and washer.
7. A manufacturer was fined £25 with £10 10s. 0d. costs for selling a packet
of frozen peas containing a slug.
8. A baker was fined £30 with £6 6s. 0d. costs for selling a loaf of bread
taining a piece of metal.
9. A confectioner was fined £5 for selling cream which was sour.
10. A wholesale confectioner was fined £5 with £1 1s. 0d. costs for selling a bar
of chocolate crunch containing a screw and washer.
11. A grocer was fined £25 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling a mouldy pork pie.
12. A manufacturer was fined £5 with £3 3s. Od. costs for selling a tin of peas
containing a caterpillar.
13. A baker was fined £10 with £10 10s. 0d. costs for selling a loaf containing
brush bristles.
14. A grocer was fined £15 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling a mouldy veal, ham
and egg pie.
15. A wholesaler was fined £40 with £10 10s. 0d. costs for selling a rissole
taining a fragment of glass.
16. A multiple stores was fined £50 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling mouldy
cheese.
17. A wholesale baker was fined £15 with £5 5s. 0d. costs for selling a loaf of
mouldy bread.
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