[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Witham U.D.C.

  • Witham (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Witham U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Every make of ice-cream is sampled periodically to ascertain its standard of bacterial purity. 53 such samples were taken during the year and the results are given below :— Bacteriologist’s description Ministry of Health’s Provisional Grading I. II. III. IV. Totals Satisfactory 26 6 1 — 33 Passable — 5 5 3 13 Unsatisfactory — 2 1 4 7 TOTALS ... 26 13 7 7 53 Of the above, one sample was of fruit-ice and was satisfactory. Of those classified as unsatisfactory, 4 contained organisms of faecal origin and may be regarded as the worst. Sample reports are sent, for informa¬ tion and action, to manufacturers and vendors and local authorities of the district of origin. By co-operation with these authorities, and further sampling at stages of production and distribution, it has usually been possible to detect and remedy the faults responsible for unsatisfactory reports. During the year, the Food Standards (Ice-Cream) Order, 1951, came into force, laying down standards for fat, sugar and milk solids not fat content of ice-cream. Three samples were taken under this Order and the results in each case proved very satisfactory. HYGIENE OF FOOD PREPARATION PREMISES The number of premises where food is' prepared, stored or retailed is 95, as follows :— Restaurants ... ... ... 10 Factory and School canteens 9 Manufacturing Butchers ... 7 Bakehouses ... ... ... 6 Fried Fish Shops ... ... 3 Retail Butchers’ Shops ... 7 Other Retail Food Shops ... 32 Retail Wet Fish Shops ... 3 Licensed Premises ... ... 18 All are subject to inspection and generally found to satisfy the re¬ quirements of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938. 106 visits of inspection were made during the year. In several cases it was necessary to issue warnings concerning lack of cleanliness and other unsatisfactory con¬ ditions. Subsequent improvements rendered it unnecessary to consider formal action in these cases. The Table below shows defects required to be remedied during the year :— Re-design and modernisation of : (a) Bakehouses 1 (b) Restaurants 1 (c) Fish Shops .. 1
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