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43
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
AND FOOD PREMISES
FOOD AND DRUGS ACTS, 1938-1950
A considerable proportion of the time of the staff of the Department is
devoted to the inspection of food and all types of food premises with a view
to seeing that the public are sold clean and safe food. All district sanitary
inspectors are concerned with this matter of clean food, and two specialist
food inspectors devote the whole of their time to ensuring that the
various Acts, Orders and Regulations relating to food are complied with
With regard to the clean food campaign, additional and very valuable
powers, more especially in regard to "the observance of sanitary and cleanly
conditions and practices in connection with the handling, wrapping and delivery
of food sold or intended for sale for human consumption, and in connection
with the sale or exposure for sale in the open air of food intended for human
consumption", are contained in the London County Council By-laws for the Protection
of Food made under Section 15 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, which
came into operation on 3rd November, 1952.
Apart from the aesthetic angle, the increase in outbreaks of Food Poisoning
in recent years, due in large part to the increase in popularity of
communal feeding, has given much prominence to the need for more cleanly and
hygienic methods in the handling of food generally. One is glad to report
that persons engaged in the food trades are now more alive to the need for
higher standards and, as a result, are co-operating more satisfactorily with
the officers of the Department.
Records are held in the Department relating to 1585 premises in the
Borough where 2283 food trades are carried on; and listed as follows: -
Bakehouses 35
Bakehouses (basement) 16
Bakers (sales only) 24
Butchers 131
Confectionery 389
Fish curers 19
Fish (wet) 37
Fish (fried) 29
Fish (wet and fried) 5
Greengrocers 132
Grocery and Provisions 392
Ice Cream 328
Jellied eels and pies 13
Milk (distributors) 206
Beer, Wine &c. "Off" sales at Grocers 18
Public Houses and Off Licences 268
Restaurants and cafes 241
Distribution of food trades in sanitary inspection districts, is shown on
Page 21 of the Appendix.
STREET TRADING IN FOODSTUFFS. The majority of street traders operate
from approved pitches and are licensed by the Borough Council under Section 24
of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1947. These pitches are
the responsibility of the Borough Engineer and Surveyor's Department and are
supervised by streets inspectors employed in that Department.
The Public Health Department is always consulted before persons proposing
to sell foodstuffs are licensed, and it is recommended that licences be
granted for the sale of certain foodstuffs only when they are sold in pre-packed