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57
coffee-houses, etc., were regulated by byelaws, not only was a
great deal of food prepared under filthy conditions even as regards
general sanitation but, in addition, adulteration and the disguising
of deterioration had become a highly scientific proceeding, whilst
the absence of standards on which proceedings could successfully
be taken very materially limited the usefulness of sampling.
It seemed that some of the difficulties of local authorities
would be solved when, under the Sale of Food Order, 1921, standards
were fixed for the composition of jam, marmalade, and
dripping, margarine and other edible fats, and Circular 225, from
the Ministry of Health, accompanying the Order stated:—
"The Minister is aware that in the past local authorities
have occasionally experienced difficulties in dealing with
cases of excessive water in dripping, lard substitutes, etc., and
it is hoped that the present Order, by specifying a definite
maximum percentage, will assist in the removal of these
difficulties. Similarly, the provision of the Order prescribing
a standard of composition for jam and marmalade will be
found useful.''
Unfortunately, our hopes were short-lived, for within a few
months the parts of the Order relating to the standards for these
foodstuffs were revoked and in my Report for 1922 it will be seen
that although one sample of coffee, three of dripping, four of malt
vinegar, and one of vinegar were, in the opinion of the Analyst,
adulterated, yet because of the absence of legal standards, the
difficulty of obtaining convictions in these cases was so great as
to make sampling almost a useless proceeding.
In 1924 the Council requested the Ministry of Health to grant
additional powers to deal with the adulteration and chemical
contamination of food by the undue use of boric acid and the use
of copper salts or preservatives containing arsenic or lead. The
Ministry was also informed that there was considerable evidence
of particles of glass being found in jam sold in glass containers.
A very welcome step was taken by the Ministry of Health in
issuing the Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, which dealt
with the handling and transport of meat, and the screening of
meat stalls, etc., and the Council published notices drawing the
attention of tenants of food premises, stalls, shops, etc., to the
sanitary requirements relating to their premises.
The necessity for the continuous and thorough inspection of
food and premises where food was sold or stored will be evident
from the following examples of unsatisfactory food storage found
during the year 1925:—
Apples and Confectionery—sold outside places of entertainment,
and the stock kept in a bed-living room occupied by man, wife and
two children, the children suffering from chicken-pox.