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Milk (Special Designations) Order. 1923.
Under this Order, 18 licences were granted during the
year, four for the sale of Certified milk, ten for Grade A
(tuberculin tested) milk, three for Pasteurised milk, and one
for Grade A Pasteurised milk.
Thirty-six samples of ordinary unclassified milk were
examined for general bacterial count; of these 21 were found
to contain over 50,000 bacteria per c.c., the maximum being
1,000,000 per c.c. The attention of the vendors was drawn
to the large bacterial count and advice was given in all instances
to exercise more care in the sterilisation of milk utensils.
During the year considerable attention has been
given to improving the methods of cleansing and sterilising
milk bottles and utensils. Apparently it is not generally
recognised by dairymen that by Article 21 of the Milk & Dairies
Order, the use of steam or boiling water for the scalding of
all milk vessels is imperative. Boiling water means water
at the temperature at which it boils—212 degs F. or in practice,
210 degs F., and does not mean, as is often mistakenly thought,
water from which watery vapour, (sometimes erroneously
called steam) arises.
To get boiling water for the purposes of dairying, the
cheapest and most practicable way is by means of a steam
boiler.
The cleansing of bottles in which milk is delivered is
a matter which often receives insufficient attention. A milk
bottle is included under the article quoted and therefore
should be cleansed by means of steam or boiling water, yet
milk bottles which are subjected in the homes to varied uses
are apt to be imperfectly dealt with by the dairyman.
Exposure of milk bottles and utensils to steam is
essential alike for the protection of the public and from a
commercial point of view, because when the bottles and milk
receptacles are sterilised, the milk keeps better and the dairyman
gets the resulting approbation of the public and so
greater custom.
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