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INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
Milk.— During the year 179 inspections were made at cowsheds, dairies and retail purveyors' premises.
Under the Milk (Special Designations) Orders 18 licences for the sale of "tuberculin tested" milk,
24 for the sale of "pasteurised" milk and 1 for a pasteurising plant were issued.
Samples of milk have been taken at intervals for bacteriological examination and to test the
efficiency of the pasteurising. Complaints of milk being supplied in dirty bottles were less frequent in 1948
as compared with previous years. While the importance of clean methods of milk production, handling
and retailing is continuously brought to the notice of those engaged in the trade, too many members of
the public fail to apply the most elementary rules of hygiene in regard to milk bdttles. Such bottles
should be rinsed as soon as they are emptied and should not be used for other purposes.
Ice-Cream.—Under the Food and Drugs Act premises used for " the sale, or the manufacture
for the purpose of sale, of ice-cream or the storage of ice-cream intended for sale " must be registered.
This does not apply to premises used primarily as a club, hotel, inn or restaurant and only to a theatre,
cinematograph theatre, music hall or concert hall if the ice-cream is manufactured on the premises. During
the year 469 inspections of registered premises were carried out.
Originally, ice-cream was made from cream, milk, sugar, eggs and flavouring agents, Before the
war the manufacture of ice-cream had become an important industry but, to keep the price within the
range of all, substitutes such as starch and gelatine had taken the place of cream and eggs. Before the war
large-scale manufacturers produced an ice-cream with a reasonable sugar and fat content, while many
small dealers used custard powder or bought prepared ice-cream mixes and their product usually had a
low fat content.
In 1945 when the sale of ice-cream was again permitted, manufacturers were granted supplies of
fat, sugar and powdered skimmed milk, The latter was soon withdrawn, and the restriction on the uses
of milk and butter have resulted in many formulae being tried to give the necessary consistency and some
food value.
In recent years the cleanliness of ice-cream has given rise to anxiety, and though no bacteriological
standard has been laid down, the Ice-Cream (Heat Treatment) Regulations were brought into operation
in May, 1947, with a view to improving the hygienic quality. The Regulations require all ice-cream, except
complete cold-mix powders, to be heat treated with a view to killing any pathogenic organisms which
may be present and lay down the temperatures at which mixtures are to be kept before and after heat
treatment—these temperatures are such as to discourage bacterial growth. The enforcement of these
regulations call for regular and persistent supervision of premises, plant, etc., by Sanitary Inspectors,
especially as the necessary new plant is difficult to obtain.
The attention of all manufacturers and vendors of ice-cream has been drawn to the Regulations,
and the opportunity taken to remind them of the general hygienic requirements laid down in the Food
and Drugs Act for any premises used for the manufacture or sale of any food. During the year 90 samples
of ice-cream were taken for submission to the methylene blue reductase, plate count and coliform tests
and these samples were graded by the bacteriologists as follows:—excellent, 7; good, 6; satisfactory, 47;
doubtful, 8; and unsatisfactory, 22. This high proportion of unsatisfactory samples shows that only
too frequently ice-cream is not prepared or served under hygienic conditions. All unsatisfactory samples
are followed up with a view to tracing lapses from strict cleanliness in manufacture, storage, or retailing.
Bakehouses.—Visits of inspection to bakehouses numbered 162 in 1948. On three occasions
complaints were received of the presence of foreign bodies, e.g., cigarette end, nail, etc., in bread or cakes.
The offenders were warned in two cases, and a fine of £2 with 10 shillings costs was inflicted in the other case.
Slaughterhouses, etc.—There is no public abattoir in the Borough, and the eight private slaughterhouses
remain closed. There is one licensed knacker's yard and the humane killer is used on all animals
slaughtered there.
Inspection of Meat and Other Foods.—Premises where food is prepared or sold were submitted
to regular inspections. Inspections of food were carried out during the year as follows:—Meat, 405; fish,
145; provisions, 326; vegetables and fruit, 96; hawkers foodstuffs, 83; and other foods, 9. Premises
where food was prepared were submitted to 1,136 inspections.
During the year 13,635 lbs. of unsound food and 3,729 tins of unsound tinned food were seized by
or surrendered to the Sanitary Inspectors on retail premises in the Borough. On five occasions food,
unfit for human consumption was found being sold or exposed for sale. In three cases the offenders were
warned and fines amounting to £20 were inflicted in the other two cases.
Municipal Restaurants.—One municipal restaurant was open during the whole year. The number
of meals served during 1948 was 38,471 to the public and 41,152 to school children. No complaint
in regard to the food served in this restaurant reached the Health Department.