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31
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD AND FOOD PREMISES
The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960, prescribe standards for the preparation, storage
and sale of clean food. There has been a maked improvement in hygiene in the production and sale of food
since the Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955, came into force.
Public Health Inspectors inspect food premises and stalls (Table 35) regularly and serve verbal or
written notice to improve the standards of food hygiene. Improvements in some premises are still either in
progress or arrangements are being made for them to be carried out (Tables 36 and 37).
For contraventions of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1960 legal proceedings were authorised
with the following results:—
Hawkers:
(a) Eighteen contraventions: All proved—fined £19.10.0d. £6.0.0d. costs.
(b) Fourteen contraventions: All proved—fined £40.0.0d. £15.15.0d. costs.
(c) Six contraventions: All proved—fined £30.0.0d. £5.0.0d. costs.
(d) Forty-six contraventions: All proved—fined £23.0.0d. £5.5.0d. costs.
(e) One contravention: Proved—fined £5.0.0d.
(f) Eighteen contraventions: All proved—fined £48.0.0d. £10.10.0d. costs.
(g) Six contraventions: All proved—fined £18.0.0d. £10. 10.0d. costs.
(h) Fifty contraventions: All proved—fined £150.0.0d. £26.5.0d. costs.
(With six weeks imprisonment in default of payment, suspended whilst defendant paid £5.0.0d.
per week)
Premises:
(i) Sixteen contraventions: All proved—fined £32.0.0d. £10.10.0d. costs.
(j) Summons withdrawn on change of ownership, improvement in conditions, and payment of
£10.10.0d costs.
(k) Summons not taken out following the voluntary closure of a cafe.
INSPECTION OF POULTRY
There is no slaughtering of poultry carried on in the Borough, but a survey carried out in the last
quarter of the year showed that some nine thousand ready-plucked table-birds are eviscerated and dressed
at one hundred and thirty shop premises every week, considerably more, of course, immediately before
Christmas. Of close on half-a-million carcases dressed per annum by far the greatest proportion are broilers,
perhaps ten per cent. are turkeys (principally at Christmas and Easter) and one per cent. made up of culls,
ducks and geese.
The number of visits made to premises in connection with poultry dressing was 196. Disease
appears to be rare in the birds reaching the shops in this Borough and only 35 birds weighing 63 lbs. were
condemned.
With the great number of birds being dressed at so many establishments, often at irregular times,
it is not practicable to institute a system of poultry inspection to cover all carcases and apart from spot-checks
the Department relies on the butchers to retain carcases of which they had any doubt for examination by
the Inspectors. This co-operation was invited in a circular letter which included a note of the symptoms to
be regarded as suspicious.
PREMISES WHERE FOOD IS PREPARED
Premises which manufacture or sell ice-cream or prepare or manufacture sausages, potted, pressed,
pickled or preserved foods, including cooked meat or fish intended for sale, must be registered by the Council.
If the Council refuses or cancels a registration, the owner can appeal first to them and if unsuccessful to a
court of summary jurisdiction. (Table 38.)
Premises where ice-cream is manufactured are kept under close supervision. Most of the ice-cream
sold in the borough is manufactured outside the district, and is usually pre-packed. The ice-cream reaches
a high standard of purity. (Table 41.)
EDUCATION IN FOOD HYGIENE
Lectures illustrated with film shows, filmstrips and bacteriological cultures were given to school
leavers and other interested groups.
FOOD UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
Eleven cwts. 57 lbs. 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.