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Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949.
These Regulations made under Section 20 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, came
into operation on the 1st October, 1949. They re-enatct with amendments the Milk and
Dairies Regulations, 1926 to 1943. The principal changes brought about by the new
Regulations are that a number of functions previously the responsibility of the Minister
of Health, county councils and other local authorities have been transferred to the
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. The powers conferred upon a Medical Officer of
Health for stopping a supply of milk where he has evidence of its being infected have
been extended to include any disease communicable to man by the consumption of
milk, and in lieu of stopping the sale of milk, a Medical Officer of Health may make its
sale conditional upon its being treated so as to render it safe to his satisfaction, i.e. by
heat treatment. This condition of sale may also be imposed where a Medical Officer of
Health has reason to suspect the milk of being infected.
The Milk (Special Designation) Act, 1949.
This Act, which came into force on the 1st October, 1949, provides that, in specified
areas to be defined by the Minister of Food, the only milk which may be sold by retail is
milk from herds which continue to satisfy a standard of veterinary inspection, e.g. "Tuberculin
Tested" or "Accredited" milk or milk which has been subjected to a specified heat
treatment, e.g. Pasteurisation or Sterilisation. As from the 1st October, 1953, the use of the
designation "Accredited" is prohibited in specified areas.
The Milk (Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949.
These Regulations re-enact with amendments the Milk (Special Designations)
Regulations, 1930 to 1948 so far as they relate to raw milk. As provided for by the Milk
and Dairies Act, 1944, the control of the production of designated raw milk is passed to
the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Regulations also provide for the gradual
raising of the standard of veterinary inspection necessary for a Tuberculin tested herd,
until by 1st October, 1957, all tuberculin tested milk will be produced from attested herds,
and after 1st October, 1954, the designation "Accredited" will no longer be permissible.
The Milk (Special Designation) (Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949.
These Regulations re-enact with amendments the Milk (Special Designations)
Regulations, 1936 to 1948, so far as they relate to pasteurised milk, and are concerned
only with special designations in regard to heat treated milk — "Pasteurised" and
"Sterilised." The latter designation is incorporated into the Regulations to legalise the
sale of sterilised milk in areas to be specified by the Minister of Food under the Milk
(Special Designations) Act, 1949. As from the 1st October, 1954, all pasteurised milk is
required to be put into bottles or other containers in which it is to be delivered by retail,
on the premises on which it is pasteurised.
Registrations.
The Milk and Dairies Regulations require every Local Authority to keep a register
of all persons carrying on the trade of distributor in their district and of all premises
which are used as dairies. "Dairy" does not include a shop from which milk is supplied
only in the properly closed and unopened vessels in which it is delivered to the shop, or