View report page

21
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD AND
FOOD PREMISES.
Food inspection becomes increasingly difficult with the extension
of restrictions on the food supply generally. All judgment of suspected
food has to be made with knowledge of the vital importance
of keeping the maximum amount of food available for human
consumption. Consequently, many of the high standards of quality
which it was once regarded as essential to maintain have now had
to be considerably reduced and in some cases the only criterion that
can be used is whether or not consumption of the food would be free
from harmful effects.
Lower standards have also bad to be accepted in respect of the
conditions under which foodstuffs are prepared and distributed
owing to restrictions of materials and labour.
Having regard to these circumstances the number of food complaints
received during the year was very low and few of these
proved to be of a serious nature.
Formal seizures of food were necessary on two occasions, one in
respect of diseased meat obtained from a knacker found on a
butcher's premises, and the other concerned food exposed for sale
in a condition which showed that it had been fouled by rodents.
The offender in the former case was fined £25 Os. Od. with £5 5s. Od.
costs and in the latter £5 Os. Od. with £3 3s. Od. costs.
Food premises generally were inspected and it was found
necessary for daily visits to be made to the Ministry of Food Meat
Distributing Depot, which serves Hackney and five adjoining
boroughs.
Only eight notifications of food poisoning were received.
Three of the cases were isolated illnesses of a mild and transient
nature, but the remaining five were connected with one family and
food poisoning was confirmed by bacteriological examinations.
Although it was not possible to establish proof, there was evidence
that the causal organism gained access to the food in the home of the
patients.
With reference to the milk supply, at the end of the year 1 cowkeeper,
89 dairies and milk shops, 154 dairymen (including those
whose premises are situated outside the Borough) and 299 purveyors
of milk in sealed receptacles remained on the register. In no case
was it found necessary to refuse registration or to remove a retailer
from the register under Section 22 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938.