[Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough.
- Birkenhead (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1950
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1950] / Medical Officer of Health, Birkenhead County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
17/90 page 7
![Samples of ice cream submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for examination numbered 148 and the results were satisfactory. The samples were graded as follows (Grades 1 and 2 being the highest] : — Grade I. 117 Grade 2 ... ... ... ... ... 3 Grade 3 ... ... ... ... ... 10 Grade 4 9 Lollies—satisfactory ... ... ... 9 Lollies—unsatisfactory ... ... ... — Total samples 148 Ice cream is now regarded as a food of considerable nutritional value and it is pleasing to record that the ice cream sold in the Borough has consistently maintained a high standard. 52 samples were analysed during the year, the average composition being 10.18% fat, 15.8% sugar and 34.7% total solids. These percentages are considerably higher than the statutory minimum contents of ice cream which the Minister of Food proposes to bring into force in 1951. FOOD HYGIENE Catering and Food Manufacturing Premises. The year 1950 has. shown an increased public consciousness of the importance of food hygiene and a demand for higher standards in the methods of handling and distributing food. This demand has been reflected in the work of the sanitary department during the past year, and, from March onwards systematic inspections of all catering and food manufacturing premises within the Borough have been carried out. The Ministry of Food Model Byelaws have been adopted by the Council and came into operation on the 10th July. These have been found to be very useful in supplementing the provisions of the Food and Drugs and Shops Acts. Whilst no large-scale publicity campaigns have been conducted in Birkenhead a considerable amount of work ha^ been accomplished by personal visits, to those in charge of catering and food premises when the principles of food hygiene have been explained and amplified. It is gratifying to report that these visits have for the most part been welcomed and that the majority of those in the food trade are anxious not merely to comply with the law, but also to raise the standard of their own particular businesses. In the course of the inspections made it was found that four premises (2 cafes and 2 small food-preparing premises) were un- suitable and the owners decided to cease business rather than meet the cost of bringing the premises up to the requisite standard. The Local Ministry of Food Executive Officer has been most co- operative and all new applications for catering licences are now referred by him to the sanitary department. Out of 25 applications](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28927448_0019.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
