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28
EDUCATION IN FOOD HYGIENE
Lectures illustrated with film shows, filmstrips and bacteriological cultures were given to school
leavers.
FOOD POISONING
It is pleasing to report that there was no outbreak of food poisoning in the borough. This is probably
a reflection of the great improvement in handling, preparation, storage and sale of food. There was a
decrease in the number of individual cases of food poisoning notified.
FOOD UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
One ton 9 cwt. of meat, fish and other food inspected by the Public Health Inspectors was found
to be unfit for human consumption. All the food was dealt with as trade refuse by the Borough Engineer's
Department and deposited on the controlled refuse tip.
SLAUGHTERHOUSE
There is one private slaughterhouse licensed in the Borough. This was discontinued during the last
War and was brought back into operation in 1952. Particulars of inspections, carcases inspected and condemned
are shown in Table 38.
CONTAMINATED FOOD
Sixty-three specimens of contaminated food were dealt with by the Department. They included
foreign bodies in milk (11), dirty bottles of milk (7), foreign matter in bread (11), mould in a cheese sandwich,
in a loaf of bread, in canned meat (4), in meat pies (2), in cakes (2), in sausages (2), in canned food (2),
and in yoghurt, other foreign bodies in cheese, sausage (2), bacon (2), meat pies (3), fish (3), sandwiches,
boiled sweets, cakes, soft drinks (2), canned food (2), and pepper.
A further sixteen complaints were of food alleged to be unsound for some other reason.
Six other complaints were considered to be not justified.
Of the 79 cases, in only 39 was the evidence sufficient to warrant action and of these, the Council
resolved to issue 35 cautions and prosecute in four instances. Three cases had not been heard by the end
of the year. In the remaining one the defendant was fined £5.0.0d. with £2.2.0d. costs for failure to cleanse
a milk bottle.
SAMPLING OF FOOD AND DRUGS
Composition of Food.
The Council became a food and drugs authority on 1st April 1965 and by the provisions of the Food
and Drugs Act, 1955, the medical officer of health and the public health inspectors are by virtue of their
appointments, authorised officers for the purposes of the Act, including the procuring of samples. The
former County Analyst was appointed Public Analyst to the London Borough of Brent. The assumption of
new duties by the existing officers of the two former Boroughs, now constituting the London Borough has
resulted in a programme of sampling for the part of the first year which has to a large extent been exploratory,
and details of the samples procured for submission to the Public Analyst are shown in Table 39.
The unsatisfactory samples consisted of foods which were either the subject of a questionable description
or foods where the retailer failed to make it clear to the purchaser that an inferior article was offered.
It was considered appropriate to prosecute in only one case where a fine of £10,0.0d. was imposed with
£5.0.0d. costs.
Marking and Labelling of Food.
Whilst it is not at present a requirement at law to identify by a label the type or variety of an open food,
any misdescription can be a contravention of the Food and Drugs Act. Certain packeted or canned food must,
however, by the Labelling of Food Order, 1953 bear a name of the food, its ingredients, and the name and
address of the packer or a registered trade mark. Again, some imported foods must, when exposed for sale,
carry an indication of their origin in accordance with the Merchandise Marks Acts and Orders made thereunder.
Visits of inspection for the general purpose of checking the accuracy of marking and labelling food
exposed for sale have been made on 960 occasions, and first warnings given in 113 instances. In addition 18
samples were taken for examination in the Department. In one case, after warnings, legal proceedings were
instituted resulting in a fine of £5.0.0d. being imposed with £6.6.0d. costs (failure to mark imported apples
as "Foreign").
MILK AND DAIRIES REGULATIONS
The Borough is a specified area in which may be sold only milk to which a special designation is
applied, i.e. Pasteurised, Sterilised, Ultra-heat-treated (since October 1965) and Untreated. (The latter
designation was introduced in 1963 when tuberculosis in milch cattle was virtually eradicated in this country).