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68
vigilance in order to keep pace with new methods of production
and treatment and with the ever increasing number of Orders and
Regulations applying to the standards, preparation or treatment
of various foodstuffs.
The first part of 1945 saw a continuance of war conditions with
resultant damage to food and occasional interruption of the food
distributing services. As a result help had frequently to be given
to retailers and manufacturers to deal with their damaged goods
and premises and, wherever possible, to enable them to restart
their business with the least possible delay, the main object always
being the need to salvage the maximum amounts of food for human
consumption.
Transport difficulties arising from shortage of labour or disputes
during the year also caused wastage of perishable food, but in most
cases prompt action in dealing with the matter made it possible for
the unsound food to be used for animal feeding meals or for the
production of fertilisers, and only a very small quantity of unsound
food was destroyed as totally unfit for any further use.
The Ministry of Food Meat Depot at No. 8, Shore Road,
supplying butchers' meat and offal to six London boroughs including
Hackney, required almost daily visits of inspection, and considerable
quantities of home-killed cattle and imported calves had
to be inspected.
To many the re-appearance of ice-cream in this year came as a
welcome addition to a restricted diet, but to local authorities
it was not by any means an unmixed blessing. The limitations of
the supplies of suitable materials for manufacture and the fact
that so many new manufacturers entered the field of production,
many with little or no experience, added to the difficulties of the
inspectors. Even when produced under ideal conditions, with the
ingredients then available, it differed from paperhangers' paste
only in that it contained a little fat, flavouring and sugar. Some
anxiety was felt as regards the large quantities of this product
which were reaching the public after passing through various
supply channels. For instance, some manufacturers supplied
ice-cream to distributing agents who in turn supplied shopkeepers
and stall-holders. Each stage in these transactions might have
provided an opportunity for contamination and rendered more
difficult the work of the health authorities in tracing the source of
cases of food poisoning which might result.
Action was taken in the Magistrates' Court in 1946, following
two complaints of milk being sold in dirty bottles. The vendors
were convicted of selling milk which was unfit for food and of
failing to keep the milk vessels in a state of thorough cleanliness,
fines totalling £32 with £10 8s. costs being imposed. The very
unusual severity of the penalties in these cases was due to the fact
that these vendors were persistent offenders.