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INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
MILK SHOPS AND DAIRIES.
Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915.
Milk and Dairies (Amendment) Act, 1922.
Milk and Dairies Order, 1926.
There were 270 inspections of dairies and milk purveyors'
premises made by the sanitary inspectors during the year. Twenty
persons were registered as purveyors of bottled milk only, and
three as dairymen and their premises as dairies; also there were
transfers in respect of three dairies and 36 purveyors of bottled
milk.
There are now 110 premises registered as dairies and their
occupiers as dairymen, and 643 persons registered as purveyors
of bottled milk only.
The bulk of the milk sold in the Borough is Pasteurised,
some is bottled and sold as sterilised, but there is a certain
quantity of raw milk being bottled by retailers. In these cases
steam sterilisers for the treatment of the bottles are insisted upon
in compliance with Article 21 of the Milk and Dairies Order,
1926, which provides: (1) "Every such vessel, lid and appliance,
shall be thoroughly washed as soon as may be after use, and
shall be cleansed and scalded with boiling water or steam before
it is used again."
As it is impracticable to scald glass bottles with boiling
water, steam is the only alternative, though some retailers appear
to have been informed bv their Associations that it is sufficient
merely to wash the bottles.
Having secured the installation of steam sterilisers, the
difficulty remains in the case of the small retailers referred to of
ensuring that they do in fact use them, whereas the large firms
pasteurise their milk and cleanse and sterilise their bottles as
a commercial proposition in order to ensure the good-keeping
quality of their product.
Examination of Milk.
Animal Inoculation (Cuinea Pig Test).
Sixty samples of milk were secured from producers and
purveyors. This number included fourteen third-pint bottles of
milk supplied to children at the Council's Schools, all of which
proved satisfactorv. Ten samples were obtained on delivery at
Council's Institutions, and these also proved satisfactory.
Of the remaining thirty-six, one sample obtained on delivery
from a producer revealed a positive tuberculous infection. The
facts were immediately reported to the Medical Officer of Health
of the area in which the milk was produced, who took appropriate
action in the matter.
Condensed Milk Pegulations.
Fifty-one samples of condensed milk obtained were examined
as follows :—
90