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(b) to define half cream milk as meaning milk which contains
not less than 10.8% of milk solids, including not less than
1.8% of milk fat;
(c) to prescribe minimum percentages of milk fat and milk
solids including fat for condensed, partly skimmed (half
cream) milk.
Other Statutory Instruments and Circulars were published
during the year in respect of arsenic and fluorine in foods, approved
chemical agents, etc., and with regard to imported food, " official
certificates " for Poland were sanctioned. Some further Regulations
and Orders were issued in connection with slaughterhouses covering
among other items, hygiene, prevention of cruelty, forms and
records, etc.
Milk
Milk consists of approximately 87% of water holding proteins,
sugar and certain salts in solution and having suspended in it finely
divided globules of fat to which the milk owes its whiteness. Milk,
as drawn aseptically from a healthy cow, contains few bacteria
but as it forms an excellent medium for the growth of organisms
every precaution should be taken to prevent its contamination.
It is, therefore, to be expected that this commodity formed the
largest class of food sampled during the year.
Milk Supply.—The supply of milk continues to be under the
direction of the Milk Marketing Board, who, in this connection, act
as agents to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The
greater proportion of the milk which enters the Borough originates
from the Home Counties and the remainder which is of a higher fat
content, arrives from Devon and the Channel Islands.
Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959.—Under the
provisions of these Regulations each person retailing milk in the
Borough must be registered as a Distributor. The number of
Distributors registered at the end of the year was 111 which total
includes 6 dairy premises.
On 30 occasions the premises of distributors and dairies were
visited other than for sampling purposes, and defects, when detected
were remedied as and when necessary.
The Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised
Milk) Regulations, 1949/53 and The Milk (Special Designation)
(Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949/54.—All milk now sold in the
Borough has been Sterilised, Pasteurised or Tuberculin Tested and
the use of these Special Designations in relation to the sale of milk
is prohibited under the above Regulations unless the distributor is
licensed for the use of same.