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36
The falling off in the average fat content is very marked, dropping from
4 per cent. in 1902, to 3.17 per cent. in the present year, and in all probability
this impoverishment is largely due to the increased demand on the part
of the public for cream, the ill.gotten profit going to swell the exchequer of
the farmer instead of reaching the pockets, as in former years, of the retailer.
In this connection I may quote the following from the last published
Annual Report of the Local Government Board (1908/9).
"The heavy adulteration practised 30 years ago has practically dis"appeared,
but if we may judge by the number of samples which are
"reported as 'poor,' 'very poor,' or as just reaching the legal limit of
"3 per cent. of fat, all of which have to be returned as genuine, the
"practice of robbing good milk of a large proportion of its cream, so
"that it may just escape condemnation by the public analyst, is on the
"increase."
"A firm of milk and cream contractors represented to us that a
"systematic practice is growing up in the south and west of England of
'''toning ' milk before it is despatched to London and other large towns.
"'Toning' consists of reducing the quality of milk so that it barely
"complies with the minimum limits prescribed by the Sale of Milk
"Regulations, 1901. The firm states that samples taken in December,
"1908, without notice, of the milk sent by nine farmers to one of their
"depôts showed that the average of fat in the morning aud evening
"milks was 4.08 per cent. It will be seen that a large illicit profit can
"be made without risk when milk is thus systematically impoverished.
"Some magistrates appear to consider the limit for fat fixed by the
"regulations as representing milk of average quality, and regard all
"milk coming within 5 or 10 per cent. of that limit as passable. It
"must, however, be remembered that milk of good average quality con"tains
more nearly 3½ per cent. of fat than the 3 per cent. which has
"been fixed for the purpose of the regulations referred to."
In all those cases reported by the public analyst to have been sophisticated,
further samples were taken at a later date, but doubtless, owing to the
suspicions raised in the minds of the farmers that their consignments were
under observation, the milk was certified to be genuine in each instance.
While engaged in the conduct of this investigation, two instances came before
my notice which may be regarded as a fair indication of the haphazard manner in
which the wholesale milk trade is carried out. In one case the milk had been
damaged in transit by rail, in consequence of the churns having been carried
in trucks used for the conveyance of fish, the milk acquiring a fishy flavour.
In the second case the milk had acquired an objectionable smell and taste,
which gave considerable trouble to the wholesale dealers in London, as they
received constant complaints from consumers.