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13
Licensing.
The only changes in the numbers of the licences issued are a reduction
of one in the licences of pasteurizers, and one of the licences to sell pasteurized
milk. Of the 15 premises licensed to retail tuberculin-tested
milk 7 belong to one firm, 2 to one and 2 to another. Two premises are
licensed for the bottling of tuberculin-tested milk; supplementary
licences were issued to three producers outside the district to retail
tuberculin-tested milk in the district and 3 supplementary licences were
issued to outside producers to retail pasteurized milk in the district.
Three establishments were licensed for pasteurizing milk. Of the 41
premises licensed for the selling of pasteurized milk, 17 belonged to one
firm, 12 to one, 4 to one and 2 to another.
Sampling.
29 samples of pasteurized milk were submitted to bacteriological
examination and the phosphatase test. The counts of four were unsatisfactory
and one sample contained B.Coli. All but one of the
eight samples of tuberculin-tested milk were satisfactory. The two samples
of tuberculin-tested (pasteurized) milk were satisfactory. Of the
9 samples of accredited milk produced locally, one had too high a count
and two contained B.Coli.
The condition of the milk in general is deteriorating. Producers
are experiencing their own difficulties in maintaining a satisfactory
level of hygienic standard of production, though, of course, when because
the demand exceeds the supply there is an assured market for the article
whatever its quality, a very powerful incentive to cleanly methods of
production is removed. In times of shortage milk must be of very low
quality to suffer rejection. When milk is bulked the presence of a small
proportion of milk of inferior quality can adversely affect the standard
of the remainder. Transport difficulties have increased the time from
the milking to the treatment plant or to the consumer in the case of all
but the milk locally produced and locally retailed. Before the war, doubtless
much milk was saved to be retailed by its being treated by pasteurization
either up to the official standard or not. Nowadays, however, those
operating pasteurising plants are experiencing difficulties of their own as
great as those of the others who are dealing with the milk in its different
stages, one of these being that of the maintenance of the plant, especially
the obtaining of spare parts. For this reason, and also because the plant
can be effectively manned by less skilled staff the Milk (Special Designations)
Regulations, 1941, permitted local authorities to grant pasteurising
licences in respect of the plants which carry out high-temperature
short-time pasteurisation, whereas, up to this, the only plant recognised
for the purposes of licensing was the holder process. For part of the
unsatisfactory state of the milk bottles in which the milk is distributed,
consumers must accept their share of responsibility. The bottle-washing
machinery at the best of times is designed to remove only the normal or
expected degree of contamination. In these days, with the restrictions
°n the issue of detergents even this has proved difficult. No machinery,
however, can be expected to cope with the contamination to which some
of the bottles have been subjected. Those soiled by having been out