London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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47
During the year, 21 samples of " Certified Milk," four of " Grade A (Tuberculin Tested)
Milk," and twenty-four of " Pasteurised Milk " were taken for the purpose of ascertaining whether
they complied with the bacteriological standards laid down in the Milk (Special Designations) Order,
which are as follows :—
Maximum number of
Special grade of milk. bacteria permitted per c.c. Standard for bacillus coli.
" Certified Milk " 30,000 Must not be found in one-
tenth c.c.
" Grade A (Tuberculin Tested) Milk " 200,000 Must not be found in one-
hundredth c.c.
" Pasteurised Milk " 100,000 No standard prescribed.
The results of the examinations are shown in the following tables :—
| Sample collected on | Bacteria per 1 c.c. | Coli per l/10th c.c. | Sample collected on | Bacteria per 1 c.c. | Coli per l/10th c.c. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *22nd January... | 460 | Nil. | 8th August | 8,600 | Nil. |
| 12th March | 320 | 30,400 | |||
| 3,300 | 27th | 847,000 | Present. | ||
| 30th April | 104,000 | Present. | 5,500 | ||
| *15th May | 6,000 | Nil. | 30th September | 9,600 | Nil. |
| 28th „ | 4,200 | 3,400 | |||
| 29th June | 440 | 1,900 | |||
| 13,000 | 30th October | 740 | |||
| 23rd July | 3,500 | ,, ,, | 2,230 | ||
| 17,000 | Present. | 1,900 | |||
| 2,090 | Nil. |
The above results, except those marked with an asterisk, were forwarded to the Minister of
Health at whose request the samples were taken.
| Sample collected on | Bacteria Coli per per 1 c.c. l/100th c.c. | Sample collected on | Bacteria Coli per per 1 c.c. l/100th c.c. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22nd January ... | 230 Nil. | 19th June | 3,100 Nil. |
| 12th March | 620 „ | 30th October ... | 2,600 ,, |
| Sample collected on | Bacteria per 1 c.c. | Sample collected on | Bacteria per 1 c.c. |
| 22nd January ... | 890 | 26th March | 2,400 |
| 360 | 28th | 6,500 | |
| 14th February | 14,100 | 9th April | 7,200 |
| 17,800 | 10th „ | 7,600 | |
| ... . 1,130 | 16th „ | 13,500 | |
| 1,270 | 10,600 | ||
| 1,950 | 19th June | 3,200 | |
| 12th March | 12,500 | 8th August | 69,000 |
| 22nd ,, | 11,200 | 13th | 12,600 |
| ,, ,, | 10,600 | 28,000 | |
| 31,200 | 3rd September | 35,000 | |
| 26th „ | 3,820 | 30th | 86,000 |
The majority of the results show that these designated milks had a very low bacterial content.
Indeed, only three showed counts in excess of those laid down in the Order. The council have
for some years taken firm action with a view to securing a high degree of purity in designated milks,
and it is gratifying to note that the improvement shown in recent years was maintained in 1935.
Bacteriological Examination of other Milk.—No bacteriological standards exist for milk which
is not sold under a special designation, but as a matter of interest and in order to ascertain the
degree of purity of " ordinary " milk sold in the borough, a number of samples were taken at
random from Kensington retailers. Of the 53 samples so taken, 30 contained less than 30,000
bacteria per c.c., 19 others less than 100,000 per c.c., whilst in two cases only was the maximum
number of organisms permitted in Grade A (T.T.) milk (i.e., 200,000) exceeded. These results are
very satisfactory and are doubtless due to the widespread practice among London wholesalers of
pasteurising all their milk supplies before passing them on to retailers. In this connection it is
significant that the only sample found to contain tubercle bacilli in the borough during the year was
one known to have been sold without being pasteurised.