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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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Pasteurised.—This designation is applicable where Accredited milk or ungraded milk
is pasteurised in accordance with the requirements of the order. The conditions imposed are the
same as in the order of 1923, except that there are additional requirements with regard to
thermometers and temperature records. During pasteurisation the milk must be retained at a
temperature of 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of at least 30 minutes.
The licences granted in 1937 were as follows :—
| Principal licences. | Supplementary licences. | |
|---|---|---|
| Dealers' licence to bottle and to sell Tuberculin Tested milk | 2 | — |
| Dealers' licence to sell Tuberculin Tested milk | 15 | 3 |
| Dealers'licence to pasteurise milk | 1 | — |
| Dealers' licence to sell Pasteurised milk | 48 | 8 |
| (Note.—Supplementary licences enable the holders to sell graded milks in Kensington from premises situated outside the borough.) | ||
During the year 12 samples of Tuberculin Tested milk and 53 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, 1936, which are as follows :—
Maximum no. of bacteria Standard for
Grade. permitted per ml. bacillus coli.
Tuberculin Tested No bacterial standard, but must conform Must not be found in
to a prescribed methylene blue reduction l/100th ml.
test.
Pasteurised 100,000 No standard prescribed.
The results of the examinations are shown in the following tables:—
| Samples collected on | Methylene Blue Test. | Bacillus Coli. |
|---|---|---|
| 16th March | Satisfactory | Absent. |
| „ | „ | |
| „ | „ | |
| „ | „ | |
| „ | „ | |
| ,, | „ | |
| 26th May | „ | „ |
| 17th August | „ | „ |
| „ | „ | |
| „ „ | „ | * Present in 1/100 ml. |
| „ | Absent. | |
| „ | „ |
* In this case a warning letter was sent to the vendor.
| Samples collected on | Bacteria per ml. | Samples collected on | Bacteria per ml. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th January | 13,000 | 21st April | 1,700 |
| „ „ | 18,100 | „ „ | 650 |
| 21,600 | 11th May | 6,100 | |
| „ „ | 24,000 | „ „ | 4,100 |
| „ „ | 17,200 | 2,400 | |
| 10th February | 18,500 | 11,600 | |
| 28,100 | „ „ | 960 | |
| 48,000 | „ „ | 1,280 | |
| „ „ | 18,200 | 26th May | 1,450 |
| 4,600 | „ „ | 2,100 | |
| 52,200 | 14th July | 450 | |
| „ „ | 30,800 | „ „ | 1,900 |
| 18th February | 6,200 | „ „ | 1,250 |
| 7,200 | „ „ | 12,400 | |
| 24th February | 29,200 | „ „ | 17,500 |
| „ „ | 8,900 | „ „ | 1,090 |
| „ „ | 10,800 | 12th August | 2,200 |
| 11th March | 4,100 | „ „ | 54,000 |
| „ „ | 8,800 | „ „ | 16,800 |
| „ „ | 950 | 18th October | 3,300 |
| „ „ | 22,600 | „ „ | 11,400 |
| „ „ | 6,300 | „ „ | 15,100 |
| „ „ | 3,600 | „ „ | 5,100 |
| 21st April | 416,000 | „ „ | 4,800 |
| „ „ | 5,100 | „ „ | 7,500 |
| „ „ | 15,400 | 15th November | 8,200 |
| „ „ | 7,300 |
The majority of the results show that these pasteurised milks had a low bacterial content.
In only one instance was the count in excess of that laid down in the order. In this case the milk
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