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48
showed the 19 unsatisfactory results. The samples
concerned were drawn from farm supplies at the
place of delivery in Barking, where the milk was
subsequently processed and treated by pasteurisation.
Your officers have co-operated with the officers
of the Essex War Agricultural Committee with a view
to securing the best conditions at the farms of the
producers. It was anticipated that with the introduction
of the Milk Scheme the Milk Advisory
officers would be sampling the raw milk brought into
Barking every fourteen days, but from our enquiries
it does not seem that it has been found possible to
make such frequent sampling.
I realise the importance of securing the delivery
of as much milk as possible to the public for liquid
consumption. At the same time I deplore the lowering
of the standard of cleanliness which has resulted from
the inclusion of producers whose milk normally
would have gone for manufacturing purposes. The
present price structure of the Ministry of Food control,
which provides for the payment of an extra sum of
money for the production of clean milk is, in my
opinion, bad. The remedy should be the application
of a penalty to any unsatisfactory producer.
There were, during the year, 72 samples of milk
submitted to biological examination for the presence
of tubercle.
In eight cases the guinea pig died prematurely.
In no case was there a positive result.
I am glad to record that, apart from the Tuberculin
Tested Milk retailed under that designation, the whole