Four Flies In Loaf Of Bread; Magistrate Refuses To Convict

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27987, 6 June 1956, Page 12

Four Flies In Loaf Of Bread; Magistrate Refuses To Convict

(New Zealand Press -Association)

WANGANUI, June 5. Because four files were found in a I loaf of bread it did not mean that the i bakers. Newsomes. LtcL, had suffered iit to become polluted, said Mr S. S. ’ j Preston. S.M.. in the Wanganui Magistrate's Court today, when he dismissed an information brought bv the CityCouncil. A plea of not guiltv was euj lered by Mr fl. S. Withers.' Inspector U. C Brice said that four i flies were found in part of a loaf An inspection of the bakery had shown jthat the plastic covers on the flour bowls did not completely cover them. ■ and the flies could have sot in there To Mr Withers, he said that two r—

: complaints had been received about 5 the bakery in the last five years. During that time it would have turned out about 11.000.000 loaves. One com- ’ plaint was made when part of a ' machine belt wire was found, and the i other was made when bread was stained with lubricating oil. Mr W. G. Clayton, for the council submitted that the flies, which were universally regarded as filthy and distasteful. polluted the bread." The Magistrate said that the Food Hygiene Regulations. 1952. under which the charge was laid, required it to be . shown that the baker had by default nr sufferance allowed food to become, cr foe likely to become, infected, pol- , luted, or tainted. The wording of the regulations was inadequate, he thought. ■ and in this case he did not think it had been shown that the baker hac allowed the food to become polluted In any case, he said, he was not prepared to say without scientific evidence that four flies cooked in breao at degrees- would pollute it. 1 “For years we have allowed un wrapped bread to be handled, and 1 have seen it subjected to a lot worse than four flies rooked at 650 degrees.” he said. Although he could not enter a con-; viction in the case, he thought it ha<T : done some good, as it would bring the inadequacy of the regulations to the notice of the authorities, he said- 1