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During the year 5 complaints of extraneous matter in milk bottles were received: 2 relating to
"lass, 2 in regard to dirt and 1 of the presence of a metal pen holder. All were investigated and warnings
issued to the vendors in 3 cases while the Food and Drugs Authority instituted in one case proceedings
which resulted in a fine of £10 and 3 guineas costs.
The Milk (Special Designations) (Specified Areas) Order, 1951, came into operation on 1st October,
1951. This Order defined the County of Middlesex as an area in which the use of a special designation
becomes obligatory for the purpose of all sales of milk by retail for human consumption (other than a
catering sale). The special designations permitted are "sterilised," "pasteurised" and " tuberculin tested."
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. The
number of premises registered at the end of the year was 196.
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 icecream,
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.
During the year 760 inspections of registered premises were carried out. The following results were
obtained from the bacteriological examination of the following samples:—
Excellent Satisfactory Doubtful Unsatisfactory
Ice Cream 56 24 17 10
Water ices or "lollies" — 59 2 30
Rinse water — 1 2 3
Ingredients — 3 — 3
The percentage of doubtful and unsatisfactory samples was 31.9 as compared with 32.5 in 1951,
31.3 in 1949 and 33.4 in 1948. The proportion of unsatisfactory samples is still too high and involves the
Department in much follow-up work in an effort to trace lapses from strict cleanliness in manufacture,
storage and retailing.
Bakehouses.—There are 23 bakehouses in the Borough and 162 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 one visit of inspection was made.
Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.—During the year 4 applications for a licence as a slaughterman
were granted.
Inspection of Meat and Other Foods.—There are in the Borough 146 catering establishments,
23 bakeries, 71 butchers' shops, 29 fish shops, 15 milk depots and 377 retail premises (grocers, confectioners,
greengrocers, etc.) subject to inspection and supervision and 1,401 inspections were made. During the
year inspections of food were carried out as follows: meat, 819; fish, 185; provisions, 542; vegetables and
fruit, 236; foodstuffs on hawkers' stalls or vehicles, 138 and other foods, 540.
During the year 17,014 lbs. and 6,886 tins, jars, etc. of unsound food were seized by or surrendered
to the Sanitary Inspectors at retail premises in the Borough. The following items were brought to the
Department because the purchasers were not satisfied that they were fit for human consumption: meat
and meat pies, 5; fish, 1; bread, 11; sandwich spread, 1; cake, 1; bacon, 1; chocolate, 1; margarine, 1;
fruit drink, 1; apples, 1; cheese, 1; and lemonade powder, 1. Two of these items were sent for analysis
and found to be satisfactory, in two cases foreign bodies were found to be present and warning letters were
sent to the firms concerned but in the remaining 22 cases no cause for action was found.
No animal slaughtered on local premises was inspected. One offender against the Public Health
(Meat) Regulations was fined £2 on each of 8 summonses with 4 guineas costs.
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 91 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 11 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1950 (adopted 1/2/52), hawkers of food
and their storage premises require to be registered. At the end of the year 73 hawkers were on the register.
Municipal Restaurants and School Canteens.—There is no municipal restaurant in the Borough
but during the year the 22 school canteens provided 1,430,545 meals.
The school dinner is designed to provide about one-third of the child's daily protein requirement
"gether with a due proportion of other foods. Parents should not depend too much on the school dinner
and other meals at home should be adequate and varied.
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