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Butchers 110
Bakehouses 12
Cafe's, canteens, clubs 478
Fish shops 38
Greengrocers 151
Grocery and provisions 234
Hotels and public houses 222
Food manufacturers 36
Confectioners (sweet) 239
Confectioners (flour) 40
Chemists 65
School canteens 60
Places of public entertainment 16
This is the last year in which the premises existing in the
borough are to be categorised under the above headings
which have existed for many years. Trends in food
marketing and handling have altered much in recent years
and the growth of "Take Away" food shops and specialist
shops is significant. Future descriptions applied to premises
will be more specific to allow us to identify potential
sources of problems more rapidly.
During the course of the year many contraventions of
regulations were brought to the attention of food handlers,
either in writing or verbally, which usually resulted in a
rapid reaction to rectify any faults. However in 11 instances
the committee authorised the institution of legal
proceedings which resulted in a total of £430.75 in fines
being imposed by the courts. This is double the number of
cases taken before the court compared with the previous
year and reflects a firmer line being taken in respect of the
less responsive persons engaged in the food trade.
An aspect of food handling within the borough which
perhaps explains my concern on the potential risks which
could be inflicted internationally, can be shown by the
catering provided within the London Airport. At present
there are two catering firms providing approximately
20,000 meals daily for aircraft passengers and over 24,000
meals daily for airport personnel. Generally the conditions
at such establishments are more than satisfactory but the
reponsibilities involved are vast.
Markets Stalls and Delivery Vehicles
These are the subject of special regulations and perhaps the
most difficult to enforce, because stallholders are frequently
less responsive to verbal requests and moving vehicles are
difficult to trace, (many operating outside normal working
hours). However regular inspections were carried out, as
far as was practicable, and visits were made to a number of
weekend events such as fairs and a "pop festival" held at
Syon Park. As a result of these inspections a number of
contraventions were pointed out to the traders but followup
action was difficult due to the transient nature of the
trade concerned. The committee authorised legal
proceedings in 6 cases and a total of £58 was imposed in
fines and costs. This seemingly low figure reflects perhaps
the sympathetic attitude given to this type of trader and is
not a true reflection of the severity of the offences.
In connection with this type of trade. Section 11,
Middlesex County Council Act, 1950 requires hawkers not
operating from retail premises to register with the council
and 63 are so registered.
Meat and poultry inspection
There are no slaughter houses or poultry processing
establishments within the borough.
Unsound Food

Consumer complaints
There is an increase in public awareness of matters
concerning consumer protection and the number of
complaints involving food rose from 124 in 1970 to 166 in
1971. An analysis of the type of complaint reveals greater
understanding by the public of protective legislation
although complaints concerning mould and foreign bodies
continue to predominate. Food and Drugs legislation has
long provided for statutory action in respect of food which
is sold to the prejudice of the purchaser or which is unfit
or not of the nature, substance, or quality demanded.
Similarly, descriptions or labels which are either false or
calculated to mislead have been legislated against since the
mid 1930's. Of the 166 complaints which have been
investigated, 21 resulted in legal proceedings with fines
totalling £634.85 imposed by the Courts. 14 of these cases
were taken in respect of food which was not of the nature,
substance, or quality demanded under section 2 of the Act
and 7 in respect of unfit food under section 8. The power
of the public health inspector to seize unfit food was
exercised on 6 occasions.
An interesting complaint, investigated by the
department, related to the consumption of several hundred
cartons of orange drink for a Christmas party at an infants
school. The school staff clearing up after the party, found
many cartons still containing orange drink and during the
process of emptying these cartons a green slime was
observed. A complaint to this department resulted in a
public health inspector examining the offending articles
and confirming the presence of extensive mould growth.
Subsequent investigations revealed the cartons to be coded
for two different dates, both of which were well beyond the
life of the product. Legal proceedings were instituted and a
fine of £50 with £10 costs was imposed. We have now
heard from the supplying company, who market dairy
products, that their handling techniques for this product
are to be brought into line with that of their dairy produce.
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