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INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Milk supply.
There are two cowkeepers on the register as producers of milk.
During the year 13 purveyors of milk were added to the register and
five were removed, having ceased business. At the end of the year there
were 41 purveyors of milk on the register. This number includes 11 purveyors
who were registered with respect to premises occupied for other purposes
for them to retail milk in sealed receptacles only, and three purveyors
who had purchased businesses from others who were already on the register.
During the year three cases of contraventions of milk legislation were
taken to the police court. The first was an offence under Article 6, of the
Milk and Dairies Order 1026, and an offence under Section 6 of the
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915. The offences were for being
an unregistered purveyor and also for having the cart and utensils improperly
marked. A conviction was obtained and a fine of £2 imposed.
The second and third cases were for contraventions of Article 31
of the Milk and Dairies Order and were for filling bottles on unregistered
premises. There was a conviction in each case and the defendants were
both fined forty shillings.
Under the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, twenty-three
licences were granted during the year, four for the sale of Certified Milk, eleven
for Grade A. (Tuberculin Tested) Milk, seven for Pasteurised Milk, and one
for Grade A., Pasteurised Milk.
Samples of ordinary unclassified milk are examined for bacterial counl.
These examinations are performed at the National Institute of Research in
Dairying, at Reading. Immediately after the samples are taken they are
sent by train to the Institute and they are nearly always examined between
four and six hours after being taken.
It is difficult to compare any two samples unless they are taken and
examined under exactly the same conditions, and normally the general bacterial
count is much higher in the summer than in the winter, and is much
higher the longer the time that has elapsed since milking . A large count
of general bacteria, together with the presence of b.coli in 0.01 c.c. is usually
taken as an indication that the milk is unsatisfactory. In these cases the
attention of the vendors is drawn to the fact, and advice is given to them in
order to help them exercise more care in the handling of the milk and utensils.
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