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THE FOOD AND DRUGS AMENDMENT ACT, 195^-
This long awaited Act passed into law on 25th November, 195^» but, with the
exception of Section 28, does not come into operation until a date to be appointed byorder
of the Minister.
It was hoped that the Act would come into force at once so that a general
tightening up of the law relating to food premises would have allowed the sanitary
inspectors to bring about a general improvement in the condition of these premises.
The Act does, however, go far towards meeting criticisms levelled at the existing
Act of 1938, by Local Authorities. It revised provisions for protecting the public
against the sale of food containing injurious ingredients; guards it against misdescription
of food and drugs in labels and advertisements and provides fuller powers to secure
that food is not contaminated in preparation, distribution and sale.
Of the means to enforce higher standards, the most effective is that giving powerto
the Minister to extend to other types of food businesses the existing provisions
requiring the registration by local authorities of premises used for the manufacture or
sale of sausages, ice-cream and preserved food.
Ministers are empowered to make regulations requiring hawkers of food and persons
selling food from stalls or vehicles to be licensed by the Local Authority.
Two important provisions that are embodied at present only in temporary legislation
are made permanent in the new Act; they are designed to ensure that the public is not
mislead by labels and advertisements dealing with foods.
Certain recommendations in the report of the Manufactured Meat Products Working
Party are incorporated.
Some of the difficulties confronting sampling officers when carrying out the
procedure laid down by the existing law is removed by the new legislation. The division
of each separate parcel of such things as half-ounce packets of cheese spread and of
small jars of meat and fish paste, presents difficulties and the Act permits the division of
these containers into lots without any of them being opened. This, even, does not go far
enough to solve the problem as the new provisions do not appear to apply to small meat pies
and the like, which are not sold in unopened containers.
CLEAN POOD - NEW STATUTORY PROPOSALS.
The new Act will not make the 1938 Food & Drugs Act the perfect instrument it should
be, but by strengthening the latter to some extent and clearing up some of its ambiguities
it will enable the Department to counteract some of the less desirable trends associated
with the increase of eating out.
When we consider the question of clean food, however, the position is not so satisfactory.
The existing law relating to the hygienic manufacture, storage and distribution of
food is contained mainly in the Food & Drugs Act, 1938, as amended by the Transfer of Functions
(Food & Drugs) Order, 19^8. The Act contains provisions for securing the observance of
hygienic conditions in premises where food is prepared, stored and sold.
On the whole, the Act, together with the bye-law, made under Section 15, now in force
in a large number of districts, has been of great assistance to health officials and a
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