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Food Hygiene Regulations
The year has seen a marked improvement in the hygienic discharge and handling of meat
from refrigerated vessels.
After lengthy meetings and discussions we have at last seen the end of the use of straw in
meat vehicles.
Quays are properly hosed down before work commences and are kept clean during the time
the ship is discharging. Equipment is well maintained and with few exceptions of a good standard.
Head and shoulder coverings are now worn by all porters shouldering meat and research is
going on to decide upon the best type of apron for wear at the meat table and for the men delivering
meat into vehicles. A new type of foot covering for the hold worker has been designed and used
experimentally and should soon be in general use.
A comprehensive survey is now being undertaken of the many hundreds of vehicles regularly
carrying meat in the docks. There is already a great improvement, but more needs to be done
before they are all satisfactory. This will involve the owners in structural improvements and in
a better organisation for routine cleansing.
The efforts made during the year to ensure that the Food Hygiene Regulations were enforceable
on board ship may yet bear fruit, but as things are at present it is an unsatisfactory state of
affairs administratively.
The increase in the number of samples drawn for bacteriological examination, although
chiefly horsemeat, does highlight the difficulty experienced in finding laboratory facilities able
to cope efficiently with a large number of samples. The goodwill and co-operation of the Public
Health Laboratory at Colindale is a pleasant feature which is sometimes taken for granted. This
laboratory was accepting samples to the limit of its capacity to deal with them, but was nevertheless
far from keeping pace with the flood of work, nor could it be expected to. Consideration must
also be given to the adequacy of the Inspection Room at No. 6 Cold Store.
The position has been reached where any increase in either bacteriological examinations or
inspections for disease can only take place to the detriment of existing routine work.
It is hoped in the next few months to see the commencement of the work of installing washhand
facilities and W.C. facilities at meat berths in the Royal Docks. Consultation has already
taken place with the Port of London Authority and it is expected that they will put into effect
the recommendations of your Officers very shortly.
The ever increasing importance of Public Health Control of imported foods coupled with the
high standard of hygiene required in a modern community has been reflected in the years work.
As types of meats and methods of handling change, so must the methods of control keep pace and
be kept under frequent review.
FOOD HYGIENE (DOCK CARRIERS, ETC.) REGULATIONS, 1960
These Regulations came into force in November 1960. The impact of these regulations fell
principally upon the meat industry who are by far the biggest handlers of unprotected foodstuffs.
As the bulk of Imported Meat is discharged in the Royal Group of Docks, the implementation of
these Regulations became a major consideration by your officers responsible for this control.
The first issue was to define the legal requirements in terms of meat handling practice. A
series of meetings took place with the many interests involved—Shipping Companies, Stevedoring
Companies, Port of London Authority, Lighterage Companies, Road and Rail Hauliers and finally
with the Dockers and Stevedores Unions. At these meetings, which took place over several months,
the standards required by this Authority were explained and the best methods of complying with
them were exhaustively considered. In all, eight major meetings took place, preceded and
followed by many meetings at docks level.
Broad agreement was reached on all important issues—some of which were put into effect
immediately and others (such as those of a structural nature) needed further detailed consideration.
The progress made during the period of the report may be summarised as follows:Quays
Meat berths are hosed down prior to the discharge of a meat ship. As far as practicable no
cargo liable to contaminate the meat is stowed on the quay. Generally it is possible to keep the
quay entirely free of any other cargo.
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