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48
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD
(A) MILK SUPPLY
Legislation.
The Milk (Special Designations) (Specified Areas) Order which came
into force on October 1st, 1951, prohibits the sale by retail of milk intended
for human consumption not produced or treated as required under the
Milk (Special Designations) Regulations. Two producers who previously
produced and sold raw milk now sell the milk wholesale.
Production.
There are nine farms in the district at which milk is produced. Of
these, five are producing tuberculin tested milk and one accredited.
The milk from the remainder is sold wholesale.
Processing and Distribution.
The following is a summary of the position :—
(1) Number of premises licensed to pasteurise milk 2
(2) Number of premises from which pasteurised milk was sold 48
(3) Number of premises outside Harrow from which
ised milk was retailed in the district 16
(4) Number of premises from which T.T. milk was sold 46
(5) Number of premises outside Harrow from which T.T.
milk was retailed in the district 16
(6) Number of premises from which sterilised milk was sold 47
(7) Number of premises outside Harrow from which sterilised
milk was retailed in the district 13
Inspection and Supervision.
During the year 108 visits were made to cow sheds and dairies.
Sampling.
36 samples of milk were taken during the year. All were satisfactory.
Complaints.
During the year 25 complaints were received about foreign matter
in milk bottles. In six instances the bottles had cement in them.
Although unsightly and indicative of faulty supervision at some stage,
the cement could not be said to be injurious to health. Those responsible
for the scrutiny of the returned bottles and for inspecting the washed and
the filled bottles, must be held to be at fault.
The chief blame, though, rests on those who allowed the misuse of
the bottle. In many cases, householders do not do what they might to
see that bottles are so treated that passage through the ordinary washing
and rinsing plant can thoroughly cleanse the bottle. In six instances
the substance in the bottle was glass. The only explanation in many of
these cases was that the top of the bottle had been broken at the stage of