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The following summary indicates the position relative to the regulations
affecting the distribution of milk and the retailing of the milk affected by a
special designation:—
Milk and Diaries (General) Regulations, 1959
Number of Persons Registered as Distributors 97
Number of Persons Registered as Dairymen 3
Milk (Special Designations) Regulations, 1963, as amended 1965
Number of Dealers holding a (Pasteurised) Licence 2
(Untreated) Licence 2
Number of Dealers holding a (Pre-Packed) Pasteurised
Licence 97
Sterilised Licence 51
Untreated Licence 26
Ultra Heat Treated Licence 35
The designated milk Ultra Heat Treated is now well established and
more retailers are applying for licences to sell milk that has been so treated.
INSPECTION AND SAMPLING
Arising from the visits to the farms and dairies and from the sampling
that was undertaken, the department was responsible for bringing to light
the presence of Brucella abortus in two herds within the area. At the time
the milk was being used in its untreated form for human consumption.
Notification from the Public Health Laboratory of the presence of
this bacilli resulted in the Department taking action under Regulation 20
of the Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959. This prevented the
milk being used for human consumption in its contaminated form and the
milk of each producer was diverted for heat treatment, prior to being sold.
The Animal Health Division of the Ministry were informed and were
interested, but little help was forthcoming from them in the matter of
finding the sources of infection within the herds concerned, there being
no eradication scheme at present in operation for this disease.
In one case the Local Authority, in conjunction with the Public Health
Laboratory and the farmer's Veterinary Surgeon performed this task.
The steps taken resulted in preventive measures being introduced,
which it is hoped will result in the infection being eradicated. Pending this
stage being reached, all the milk produced will be subjected to Heat
Treatment.
In connection with these investigations, 37 samples were taken and
of these 22 were reported by the Public Health Laboratory as positive.
In the second case, at the time of writing investigations and sampling
are in hand but no decision has been taken in respect of the course to be
followed.