View report page

76
The Regulations amend the Sale of Milk Regulations,
1901, in so far as they relate to skimmed or separated milk, and
replace the limit of 9 per cent. of total milk-solids, on which
under Article 3 of those Regulations a presumption that the
milk is not genuine is based, by a limit of 8.7 per cent. of milksolids
other than milk-fat.
In the past considerable difficulty has been experienced
in instituting proceedings in cases in which water has been
added to skimmed milk, as, owing to the fact that the milk has
been imperfectly skimmed, the total solids have not fallen below
9 per cent. Attention was drawn to this point in my last
Annual Report. The present Regulations are intended to
obviate these difficulties and to facilitate the prevention of the
adulteration of skimmed milk with water.
In a letter from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries,
dated the 20th August, 1912, enclosing a copy of the Regulations
it is stated that the fixing of the percentage at 8.7 per cent.
of milk-solids other than milk fat may result in some hardship
in cases where the milk is imperfectly skimmed. Thus, if
milk containing 3 per cent. of milk fat and 8.5 per cent. of
milk-solids other than milk fat is imperfectly skimmed so that
1.5 per cent. of milk fat remains, the proportion of milk solids
other than milk fat will rise only to 8.63 per cent., and the
Board suggest that this point should be taken into account
by the Lewisham Borough Council in considering the question
whether they should institute proceedings on the presumption
of adulteration based on the Regulations in cases where
the deficiency of milk-solids other than milk fat is slight
and the skimmed milk contains a considerable proportion of
milk fat.