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In addition seven samples of raw milk were taken in
the district by officers of the Public Control Department
of the Middlesex County Council and submitted to test for
the presence of tubercle bacilli all gave negative results.
It has not been necessary to take any action under
Article 20 of the Milk and Dairies Regulations 1949 to
prohibit the sale of milk.
Ice Cream
One hundred and nine persons are registered for the
sale of ice cream in the district including fifteen who
are registered for its manufacture. All the latter use
methods of heat treatment laid down in the Ice Cream (Heat
Treatment) Regulations.
A new method of testing ice cream has been adopted by
the Public Health Laboratory Ealing, where all samples
from this area are taken for bacteriological examination.
A plate count test and faecal coli test have been substitu
ted for the methylene blue test and the following provisional
grades set up.
Grade
Count
Faecal Coli
I
II
III
IV
below 500
5 00 10 000
20 000 100 000
over 100 000
0
0
0
or Present
In practice this test was found to be much more exact
ing than the old one dual tests showed that samples which
achieved Grade I under the Methylene Blue test often fell
into Grade IV under the new tests and that gradings in gen
eral were considerably lower than had been experienced in
previous years. As a result more attention was given by
the Public Health Inspectors to the methods of manufacture
and storage of ice cream than would have been the case if
the gradings had been up to usual standards and gradually
the bacteriological quality, as measured by the plate count
faecal coli tests, was improved. Of the 15 samples
(ice cream and ice lollies) which were placed in Grade IV,
8 were taken in July 3 in August, 2 in September and 2 in
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