Food-Handling

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 14

Food-Handling

Sir,—At 9 this morning I purchased some buns from a bakery in the city and found on arrival home that these were not freshly baked. Is it illegal to sell stale cakes, bread, buns, etc., as fresh? What form of redress has the customer where this is suspected? The difficulty, of course, is that the individual at best can only take or leave goods without the support of, say, the health authorities. He cannot touch these goods although it is noticeable that while more firms are wrapping such goods, hands which

recently have counted change touch food without the aid of tongs. This is a perennial topic, I agree, but with increasing consciousness of hygiene by customers, shopkeepers will be forced to raise standards of cleanliness. New Zealanders are not as careful as many overseas peoples in these matters: e.g., the United States.—Yours, P. J. FRANCKS.

June 9. 1966 [The Medical Officer of Health (Dr. L. F. Jepson) said: “Your correspondent's statement that the buns were not freshly baked does not give any indication that they were unwholesome, and it is only when food is unsound or unwholesome that any action under the Food and Drugs Act would be called for. Many firms cater to their customers’ desires for freshlybaked buns, and it should be no problem to locate another shop where P, J. Francks would be able to get satisfaction. Regarding the handling of baker’s small goods the use of tongs or other suitable implements and not the fingers is a specific requirement of the Food Hygiene Regulations, and if your correspondent were to supply details of his complaint to the health inspector of the territorial local authority the matter could be followed up.”]