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aware of the misuse of milk bottles, but few consider how difficult it may be to clean these bottles properly.
Milk retailers do take care, but there is always a danger that residues following misuse may escape detection
and the bottle be refilled with milk.
Ice-Cream.—Under the Food and Drugs Act premises used for " the sale, or the manufacture for the
purpose of sale, of ice-cream, of 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. The
number of premises registered at the end of the year was 175.
Two applications for the registration of premises for the sale of ice-cream were refused. During the
year 331 inspections of registered premises were carried out. No samples were taken for bacteriological
tests.
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, etc.) 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 Regulations also require that ice-cream shall be protected from dirt, dust or other contamination.
The enforcement of these Regulations calls for regular and persistent supervision of premises, plant and
methods of manufacture and handling.
Bakehouses.—There are 25 bakehouses in the Borough and 142 visits of inspection were made
during the year.
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.
Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.—During the year 6 applications for a licence as a slaughterman
were granted.
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 532;
fish 203; provisions 642; vegetables and fruit 251; foodstuffs on hawker's stalls or vehicles 162; and
other foods 146. Premises where food was prepared were submitted to 1,155 inspections and defects were
remedied or improvements secured at a number of premises. Special attention was given to kitchens at
restaurants and cafe premises.
During the year 9,008 lbs. of unsound food, 352 eggs and 7,568 tins, jars, etc., of unsound food
were seized by or surrendered to the Sanitary Inspectors at retail premises in the Borough. A particular
feature of the year was the finding of extraneous matter in foods. The following were encountered
flat head machine screw in bread; metal nail in caramel toffee; metal nail in cake; piece of wood in tart;
metal button in chocolate coated toffee; gravel chipping in bread; part of razor blade in bottle of milk ;
and a cigarette end in a packet of potato crisps. The articles of food, in all but two cases, were produced
outside the Borough. The presence of such extraneous matter in food may arise by accident, but the
frequency and variety suggest carelessness as the more probable cause. A severe warning was issued to
all the firms concerned.
Proceedings were taken where unsound mussels were found exposed for sale and these resulted in
a fine of £20 and £5 5s. costs.
Occasionally animals are slaughtered locally and the carcases inspected. Such action is recorded
in the following table which is in the form suggested by the Ministry of Health :—

Premises used for "the preparation or manufacture of sausages or potted, pressed, pickled or preserved
food intended for sale " are required by the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, to be registered. At
end of the year 88 such premises were registered in the Borough.
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