View report page

5. Mineral water smelling of disinfectant.
6. Sugar containing foreign matter.
7. Mineral water containing dirt and other extraneous matter.
8. Pears in syrup alleged to be watery.
9. Sausage rolls, mouldy.
10. Bread, containing pieces of broken thermometer.
Legal proceedings were taken in four instances and resulted in the
following decisions. No. 5 fined £5 and £3.3.0 costs; No. 8 dismissed;
No. 9 fined £10 and £5.5.0 costs; No. 10 fined £2 and £2.2.0 costs.
The strained baby food was submitted to the Public Analyst for
examination and, in spite of the age of the material, he reported there
was no adverse change and that the strained fruit and custard was fit
for human consumption. The manufacturers had, however, withdrawn
the remaining stocks from the shop for destruction.
Milk.
There are no producers of milk registered within the district. 123
inspections were made of milk distributors' premises and at the end of
the year there were on the register four dairies and forty distributors of
milk. Three of the dairies are large distribution depots handling only
milk in bottles or sealed churns, but the fourth is a large pasteurising
establishment processing some 60,000 gallons daily with a weekly output
of some 5,000,000 bottles.
Close supervision was kept over the dairy hygiene and repeated
checks were made of the temperature controls, flow rates, recording
charts and the results of bacteriological and chemical examinations made
by the laboratory staff employed by the dairy including the incoming
raw milks. There was no independent sampling of these raw milk supplies
in view of the adequacy of other arrangements.
During the year, an experimental plant was set up to subject milk
to ultra-high temperature treatment followed by aseptic filling into
cartons. After considerable discussion with officials of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the dairy company, representatives of
the plant and carton manufacturers, and other interested bodies on
technical and legal points, approval was given to the project subject to
no such milk being used for human consumption outside the Urban
District. Many difficulties were experienced during the experimental
processing and filling but considerable progress was made, with the
result that early in 1964, repetitive runs were possible yielding cartons
of milk that tasted fresh and wholesome after storage for up to 89 days
at normal room temperatures or in special rooms held at a constant
temperature of 91°F. Further work is necessary to ensure production
on a commercial basis, but a significant advance in milk processing has
been made.
198 samples of milk, from various dealers, were submitted for
bacteriological examination during the year and two were reported as
unsatisfactory, failing the keeping quality test. These were from two
30