HEALTH NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 17, 21 July 1928, Page 17

HEALTH NOTES

FOODSTUFFS HYGIENIC HANDLING (Contributed by the Department of Health.) Persons, places, and preparation aro the three most important factors to bo j considered in controlling the manufac-. ture and sale of foodstuffs. Adequate regulations are provided under the Health Act and the duty of seeing that the regulations aro carried out devolves lon the local authorities. In addition to the control of the actual conditions under which foods are produced thero aro also standards of purity laid down —tho use of preservatives, artificial colours, and artificial flavours being strictly controlled aud labelling conditions imposed so that the public shall not be misled as to the nature or quality of the article concerned. The risks to health arising from the consumption of contaminated food are evidenced from time to time by acute food poisoning outbreaks. At times serious effects may be caused by bacterial infection not clearly indicated. For instance, milk supplied from a certain source was found not to keep as well as it should. Apparently the conditions at the farm were quite satisfactory and tho milking machine apparatus kept scrupulously clean.. However, a very minute examination showed that in one place where the milk passed along a wooden chute a small partial splinter had occurred and underneath it had accumulated a colony jof filth that took toll of all the milk passing over it. FOOD STUFFS IN SHOPS. Even provided that the authorities exercise a,\i . possible vigilance at the production end of foodstuffs the good start made can be seriously nullified at the consumption end if reasonable precautions are not. taken in the homes of the consurtiers; or, in addition, there may be weaknesses at the intermediate stage, where the goods aro handled by retailers. We havo noticed that employees may start off on Monday morning with clean white coats and aprons, but as the week wears on the traces remaining on the apparel of its former whiteness merely: serve to produce a feeling of repulsiveness. Employers might find it a business advantage to invest in tho cost of removing more, frequently these travesties on "white purity." Employees should be prompted at all times to interest themselves in protecting tho goods from dust and flies; and in washing hands and drying on clean towels —not filthy rags hanging behind the door—after every occasion on which.there is risk of their becoming soiled. Foods, such as butter, cheese, ham, etc., should not be handled with the fingers, but suitable implements used instead. There is not much greater virtue in picking up, say, a piece of cheese between the thumb and forefinger with a gesture of daintiness or a suggestion of "well, I won't contaminate it more or longer than necessary" than there is in taking a firm grip on the piece '-. Confectionery, such as fudge, marshmallow, etc.; generally carries baetria successfully, and likewise should be, handled with proper implements. The practice of blowing into bags to open them is decidedly reprehensible, but fortunately does not come under notice so frequently nowadays: FOOD POISONING. The majority of serious food poisoning outbreaks are caused by contamination due to bacteria of human or animal origin. The! human being can infect food .'by "bacteria harboured in the bowel or in the respiratory tract. The risk from animal sources is attributable to their intestinal bacteria and organisms present on their feet picked up in walking or running over unwholesome matter and later transferring same to the food of man upon which they feed. Flies, cockroaches, beetles, etc., infect food by filth present upon their legs and bodies after feeding upon excreta of various sorts, and subsequently walking upon our food in their act of further feeding. Let us consider further individual classes of foodstuffs and their risks. MEAT. This is derived in this country in greater part from homo supplies of cattle, sheep, lambs, and pigs/ killed in municipal abattoirs or licensed slaughter yards and subject to careful inspection both in the live and dead state by a Goyernment veterinarian and meat inspectors, who condemn wholly or in part any unsound carcass. In meat the cell death is comparatively rapid, and this being so, putrefaction is liable to set in early, hence every effort must be made to retard this change as long .as possible by storage in refrigerators immediately the body heat has passed off. This cold storage is necessary till shortly before sale. Meat for local consumption should not be so, stored for more than three weeks, as if held longer moulds form upon the carcass and liquefaction of tissue takes place due'to the presence of ferments therein. Meats are kept oyer longer periods* by corning, pickling, spicing, or smoking. By processing in tins they can keep wholesome for years, provided the processing temperature is sufficient. We include poultry, game, fish, shellfish, and crustaceans under''the title meat; Meat is a good medium' for the growth of bacteria. FISH. , Change in the state of this food is more rapid than meat in-general, and it is also subject to great seasonal yari- i at.ions of quality iv any particular kind of fish. The. transport conditions for. the forwarding of this food arc not yet' rapid enough, nor are the railway vans specially constructed for this purpose. Great improvement could be effected iv this way. Crayfish arc not readily contaminated after they are boiled, provided thoy are kept intact, as their protective body covering prevents this taking place under ordinary conditions in fish shops. The same applies to prawns and shrimps. Theso latter are readily infected if removed from out of their bony shell coverings. ' ' .SHELLFISH. These comprise oysters, pipi's, tohoroas, mussels, etc.. It is. highly necessary that these bo.obtained only from beds which are known to be free from sewago pollution, and approved by the Marine Department. Shellfish should not be immersed jin waters of harbours or river: mouths owing to possible risk of sewago waters. Shellfish have been responsible for many cases of enteric fever at different times. MILK. The greatest care is necessary in handling this food as it forms a perfect medium in which disease germs can multiply very rapidly.'should they gain an entrance. Home pasteurisation, .particularly in the,hotter months, is always advisable. Milk has been responsible for an outbreak of enteric fever in one New Zealand city, 39 cases of scarlatina in another, and an outbreak of diphtheria in a third. Bovine tuberculosis can be contracted through milk. Cholera and dysentery have been caused by use of infected milk. Ice creams, etc., arc liable to bo infected, due to careless preparation and handling. BREAD AND CONFECTIONERY. Bread, owing to its,absence of outside moisture, is not conducive to the growth of disease-provoking organisms, and liiMico it rarely offends in this rrspcrt. Cakes with cream or jelly fillings or

■ I those coated with soft icing are the most productive of harm, due to bacteria becoming established in the fillings. GROCERIES. Lines most readily contaminated are sugar, biscuits, cereals, tea, salt, and dried fruits, by handling or agency of flies. Dried fruits, raisins, dates, eaui died peel, currants, iigs, and prunes are unnecessarily exposed in windows. Contamination of meals, .flour, etc.,'takes place as the result of ' Mediterranean moths, weevils, cockroaches, etc. Figs, prunes, etc., are also attacked by weevils and mites. General lines of groceries aro reasonably safe foods. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. In tho majority of fruits and vegetables, the cell death is not very rapid if wo exclude watercress, lettuce, mustard cress, and spinach. It must be borne in mind that as vegetables grow below or close to the surface of manured ground, this class of foodstuff is invariably contaminated at its source to some degree. The storage of fruit and vegeta-les on stages or containers outside shop fronts allows of contamination of these foodstuffs by allowing the deposition of street dust to form thereon. Again, there is probable pollution by dogr At night thct - stages and containers are taken within the shop carrying a regular supply of material, capable of infecting quite a number of fruits or vegetables if stored in that vicinity before any serious cleansing is undertaken. Lettuce, watercress, aud spinach should be transported in light boxes, free from the pressure of other vegetables. Tho handling and storage of fruit and vegetables in market rooms, leaves rooni for great improvement. Water used for washing vegetables for the market should be of potable; quality. Watercress should only.be culled from an approved source. For those specially interested in precautionary measures with respect to foods, we would refer them to the special regulations obtainable from the Government Printer, Wellington, as gazetted on 24th July, 192., and' numbered H-125. n .'•■■'"•