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145
Deterioration of Milk in Transit.—At the last meeting of the Gloucester
Chamber of Agriculture the County and City Analyst, Mr. George Embrey,
related the results of investigations into the problem of preventing the
deterioration of milk in transit from the farm to the wholesale depot in
London. Mr. Embrey had consignments of milk from Gloucester to London
kept under close observation, and yet the milk, which contained 4'3 per cent,
at the farm, showed only 3.5 per cent, when it reached the depot. In the
unloading of the milk at London it was discovered that there were considerable
leakages as the result of the tilting and rough handling of the churns. The
shaking on the railway aids the rising of the cream to the surface, so that
the milk that is lost is the richest, and this is suggested as the explanation of
the extent of the deterioration. Mr. Embrey has been giving attention to the
perfecting of a churn which will make leakages impossible, and hopes by means
of indiarubber rings to solve the problem. The loss of 0'8 per cent, on the
railway journey is serious both for producers and distributers in that the
average milk is unable to bear so great a reduction and comply with the
Government standard of 3 per cent, butter fat.—The Times, February 11, 1911.