Health Inspectors Discuss Aspects Of Food Hygiene

Press, Volume C, Issue 29638, 7 October 1961, Page 17

Health Inspectors Discuss Aspects Of Food Hygiene

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, October 6. While their responsibility in the administration of the 1952 Food Hygiene Regulations would increase with the growing tendency for the public to eat out in large numbers, it was equally important that proper food hygiene should take place in the home, the Medical Officer of Health at Timaru (Dr. W. I. Glass' told a conference of local body and departmental health inspectors at the Industrial Health Clinic yesterday.

Dr. Glass said there were two aspects related to food hygiene—the aesthetic, and the hygienic. From the public point of view the personal hygiene of persons in the food trade was most important. Food poisoning was often mild, but it could be severe, and over the 10-year period from 1946 to 1955 there were three deaths in New Zealand as a result of food poisoning, Dr. Glass continued.

Most Outbreaks Family Ones He said it was significant that a considerable proportion of cases of food poisoning notified each year occurred in the home. Most outbreaks in 1952-53 were family ones, he said.

Dr. Glass added that outbreaks of food poisoning almost invariably showed carelessness in the handling or storage of food, and possibly the commonest fault was neglect to wash the hands before handling food. The hands might become infected with faecal organisms or nasal organisms, and if the conditions of food storage were unsatisfactory, the bacteria had every opportunity to multiply, he said. The senior inspector of health at Timaru (Mr A. J. B. Canning) discussed the registration and supervision of food premises.

Meat and Meat Products “Meat as a Source of Food Poisoning” was the subject of an address by Mr V. O'Donoghue, of Timaru. He said that many cases of food poisoning had been traced to meat and meat products, bu* in almost all cases food poisoning could have been avoided had strict attention been paid to its preparation, handling, and storage. The existence of the Food Hygiene Regulations had led to a higher standard of food hygiene with a subsequent decrease in food poisoning outbreaks due to meat infected before sale, and it was

the duty of the householder to ensure that the downward trend in outbreaks of poisoning was maintained by providing hygienic conditions for such food once it left the shop, Mr O’Donoghue said. Education in Handling Mr R. Findon. health inspector at Oamaru, presented a paper on the education of food handlers. In 1957 there were 384 cases of food poisoning (99 of which were salmonellosis), but last year the total number of cases showed an encouraging drop to 290, including 128 cases of salmonellosis, said Mr Findon. Public Not Protected Mr Findon said that in th? food industry baking was the only recognised trade with apprenticeship agreements, and to his knowledge there was no legislation which provided that a person engaged in baking or pastry cooking must be a tradesman before he could own, manage, or operate a business. The pub lie was not protected in ths food industry as it was in so many of the professions and trades where the knowledge and experience of a person was a known fact testified by his qualifications, said Mr Findon.

Food hygiene courses had been conducted in some centres, and he felt that thes?

were the best means to achieve results, Mr Findon added. He advocated the setting up of a Food Workers' Registration Board, and legislation requiring the employment of registered workers in food establishments. “We register motor cars and food premises, we license drivers after a test of skill and knowledge. Why not license our food workers?” Mr Findon concluded. The chairman at the morning session was Mr Canning. The Timaru city health inspector (Mr A W. B. Watkinson) chaired the afternoon session.