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24
The essential condition in the matter of the treatment of
Pasteurised Milk is that the milk must be held at a temperature
between 145° and 150° F. for at least half an hour and cooled
immediately afterwards to not more than 55° F. The prescribed
conditions definitely exclude the 'flash pasteurisation' process by
which milk is heated for short periods. It is illegal to use the designation
'pasteurised' in connection with the sale of milk except under
the terms of licence. The ultimate object in view, of course, is the
attainment of a raw milk free of the tubercle bacillus and it is only
when the milk is Certified, Grade A (Tuberculin Tested), or Grade A,
that object can be said to be obtained. But can that goal be attained
in a reasonable time? Since 1923 when grading of milk came into
operation, there has been an increase of producers of Certified Milk
and Grade A (Tuberculin Tested) from 101 to 403 in 1930. By the
end of 1930 about 14,300 non-reacting cattle were licensed by the
Ministry of Health. But the cow population of England and Wales
in 1930 was estimated at 2,674,934. Thus only about .5% of the
dairy stock or 1 in 200 is guaranteed tubercle free by the tuberculin
test and the amount of milk from tubercle free herds is probably not
more than .6 or .7% of the total milk supply.
The contribution of grading to the improvement of the milk
supply up to the present has been almost negligible. Besides, the
labouring artisan classes cannot afford to pay the price demanded.
Probably in time as the benefits of healthy cattle will be appreciated,
the farmers will make endeavours to own tubercle free herds,
but in the immediate future others means will have to be devised.
Undoubtedly the best protection is given by pasteurisation. In
London most of the milk which is being sold has been treated by
heat in accordance with some of the regulations of the Ministry
of Health, but it is not sold as pasteurised milk. For instance, in
this district, although most of the purveyors of milk sell milk which
is heated, comparatively only a small portion is sold as pasteurised
milk. The 8 branches of the United Dairies and the 2 branches of
the Express Dairy have licences to sell Certified, Grade A (Tuberculin
Tested) and pasteurised milk, 1 other has a licence to sell
Certified, and 3 have a licence to sell Grade A (Tuberculin
tested) and 1 has a licence to sell pasteurised milk. The importance
of selling the milk as 'pasteurised' lies in the fact that
unless the process is properly carried out, there are certain dangers
in connection with it. For instance, if the milk is under-heated,
dangerous organisms may not be destroyed, whilst, if it is overheated,
some of the Vitamins may be destroyed. It is unnecessary
here to enter into the question of the effect of pasteurisation upon
th nutritive value of milk, though this matter is a most important