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INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Milk.
There is one cowkeeper on the register as a producer of milk.
During the year four purveyors of milk were added to the register. At
the end of the year there were 40 purveyors of milk on the register. This
number includes 15 who were registered with respect to premises occupied for
other purposes for them to retail milk in sealed receptacles only.
Under the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1923, 33 licences were
granted during the year, 5 for the sale of Certified Milk, 13 for Grade A
(Tuberculin Tested) Milk, 13 for Pasteurised Milk, and 2 for Pasteurisation.
The new Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1936, came into operation during
the year and in future licences will be granted under this order.
Control.
Samples of milk, designated and undesignated, are examined for bacterial
count. 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 0.1 c.c. or smaller numbers
of bacteria together with 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.
On the whole a bacterial count is a very good indication of general
cleanliness, especially if the same laboratory is used and regular samples are
taken.
During the year 178 samples were taken in this way and it was considered
that of these samples 42 were unsatisfactory. A rather more stringent method
of bacteriological examination is made than has been standardised by the
Ministry of Health, and therefore inquiries and advice are given to the retailers
rather than that proceedings should be taken against them in Court. In case
of grossly unsatisfactory results, however, this latter alternative would be used.
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