View report page

The proportion of doubtful and unsatisfactory samples is still too high. It should be noted that
unsatisfactory samples are more frequent during the season when production capacity is being worked
to the full. All doubtful and unsatisfactory samples are followed up in an effort to trace lapses from
strict cleanliness in manufacture, storage and retailing.
BAKEHOUSES.—There are 25 bakehouses in the Borough and 168 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. During the year 4 visits of inspection were made.
Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.—During the year 5 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, 331; fish,
100; provisions, 510; vegetables and fruit, 93; foodstuffs on hawker's stalls or vehicles, 170; and other
foods, 86. Premises where food was prepared were submitted to 1,077 inspections and defects were
remedied or improvements secured at a number of premises. Special attention was given to kitchens at
restaurants and cafe premises. 93 inspections were carried out under the Public Health Meat Regulations.
During the year 14,715 lbs. of unsound food and 6,489 tins, jars, etc., of unsound food were seized
by or surrendered to the Sanitary Inspectors at retail premises in the Borough. No proceedings were
taken in respect of unsound food.
As in 1950 a particular feature was the finding of extraneous matter in food. During the year
the following instances were encountered:—Coke in bread; metal nail in cake (2 cases); vegetable debris
in bottle of mineral water; splinter of wood in cake; wasp in doughnut. In three cases the articles of food
were produced at premises in the Borough. A severe warning was issued to all the firms concerned. The
presence of extraneous matter in food may arise by accident, but the' enquiries made suggest some degree
of carelessness as the more probably cause.
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. All the pigs were killed
on premises infected with swine fever.
CARCASES INSPECTED AND CONDEMNED
Cattle excluding Cows Cows Calves Sheep and Lambs Pigs
Number killed (if known) — — — — 35
Number inspected — — — — 35
All diseases except Tuberculosis—
Whole carcases condemned — — — —
Carcases of which some part or organ
was condemned — — — — 5
Percentage of the number inspected
affected with disease other than
Tuberculosis — — — — 14.28
Tuberculosis only—
Whole carcases condemned — — — — —
Carcases of which some part or organ
was condemned — — — —
Percentage of the number inspected
affected with tuberculosis — — — —
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
the end of the year 89 such premises were registered in the Borough.
Section 16 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, states:—" every dealer in ice-cream who in a street
or other place of public resort sells, or offers or exposes for sale, ice-cream from a stall, or from a cart, barrow
or other vehicle or from a basket, pail, tray or other container used without a stall or vehicle, shall have
his name and address legibly and conspicuously displayed on the stall, vehicle or container, as the case
may be." The Council has extended the above section to all kinds of food.
Under Section 279 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1944, hawkers of meat, fish, fruit and
vegetables and their storage premises require to be registered. At the end of the year 65 hawkers were
on the register.
Municipal Restaurants.—There is no municipal restaurant in the Borough but during the year
the 24 school canteens provided 1,520,160 meals.
Food and Drugs Sampling.—During 1951 the following samples for analysis were taken in the
Borough by the Public Control Department of the Middlesex County Council:—
20