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Under the new Regulations which came into force on 1st October, 1949, the following additional
licences for the sale of milk were issued:—11 for "tuberculin tested" milk, 7 for "pasteurised" milk and
32 for "sterilised" milk.
The Food and Drugs (Milk and Dairies) Act, 1944, came into operation on 1st October, 1949, and
transferred the control of dairy farms to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Milk (Special Designations)
Act, 1949, gives the Minister of Food power to specify areas in which only designated milks can be sold
by retail. Under these two Acts the following Regulations have been made: The Milk and Dairies
Regulations, 1949; The Milk (Special Designation) (Raw Milk) Regulations, 1949; The Milk (Special Designation)
(Pasteurised and Sterilised Milk) Regulations, 1949. The immediate effects of these Acts and
Regulations may be summarised as under:—
(i) registration, inspection and supervision of dairy farms transferred from local authorities to
Ministry of Agriculture,
(ii) licensing of designated raw milks, i.e., " tuberculin tested" transferred from local authorities
to Ministry of Agriculture.
(iii) increased powers to Medical Officer of Health to investigate outbreaks of infectious disease
associated with milk and if satisfied to stop sale of milk,
(iv) licensing of pasteurising and sterilising plants transferred from local sanitary authorities to
local authorities under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938.
The registration of milk distributors, who are not producers, and of premises used as dairies (not
being dairy farms) remains with local sanitary authorities such as the Council. The result of all this
legislation is that in the production and distribution of milk the Ministries of Health, Food and Agriculture
share the responsibility each with their area officers, inspectors, etc. Other bodies concerned are the
Milk Marketing Board, Central Milk and Dairies Advisory Committee, county agricultural executive
committees, county advisory committees, county and county borough councils, Food and Drugs Act
authorities and local sanitary authorities. Milk is of considerable importance to the health and nutrition
of the people and it is to be hoped that this multiplicity of authorities will contribute to a better and safer
milk supply.
Samples of milk have been taken at intervals for bacteriological examination and to test the
efficiency of pasteurising. Complaints of milk being supplied in dirty bottles or in bottles containing
extraneous matter continue to be received. While the importance of clean methods of production, handling
and retailing of milk is brought continuously to the notice of the trade, the public could help by more
hygienic treatment of milk bottles. Such bottles should be rinsed in cold water as soon as they are emptied
and should not be used for other purposes.
Ice-Cream.—Under the Food and Drugs Act premises used for "the sale, or the manufacture for
the purpose of sale, of ice-cream, or the storage of ice-cream intended for sale" must be registered. This
does not apply to premises used primarily as a club, hotel, inn or restaurant and only to a theatre, cinematograph
theatre, music hall or concert hall if the ice-cream is manufactured on the premises. The
number of premises registered at the end of the year was 150. During the year 867 inspections of registered
premises were carried out.
Originally, ice-cream was made from cream, milk, sugar, eggs and flavour-agents. Before the war
the manufacture of ice-cream had become an important industry but, to keep the price within the range of
all, substitutes such as starch and gelatine had taken the place of cream and eggs. Before the war largescale
manufacturers produced an ice-cream with a reasonable sugar and fat content, while many small
dealers used custard powder or bought prepared ice-cream mixes and their product usually had a low fat
content.
In 1945 when the sale of ice-cream was again permitted, manufacturers were granted supplies of fat,
sugar and powdered skimmed milk. The latter was soon withdrawn, and the restriction on the uses of
milk and butter have resulted in many formulae being tried to give the necessary consistency and some
food value.
In recent years the cleanliness of ice-cream has given rise to anxiety, and though no bacteriological
standard has been laid down, the Ice-Cream (Heat Treatment, etc.) Regulations were brought into operation
in May, 1947, with a view to improving the hygienic quality. The Regulations require all ice-cream,
except complete cold-mix powders, to be heat treated with a view to killing any pathogenic organisms
which may be present and lay down the temperatures at which mixtures are to be kept before and after
heat treatment—these temperatures are such as to discourage bacterial growth. The enforcement of these
regulations call for regular and persistent supervision of premises, plant, etc., by Sanitary Inspectors,
especially as the necessary new plant is difficult to obtain.
The attention of all manufacturers and vendors of ice-cream has been drawn to the Regulations, and
the opportunity taken to remind them of the general hygienic requirements laid down in the Food and
Drugs Act, 1938, for any premises used for the manufacture or sale of food.

The high proportion of unsatisfactory samples shows how frequently hygienic methods are not
adopted in the manufacture and retailing of ice-cream. This is supported by the examination of 22 samples
of the water used for rinsing "servers" which were graded as excellent 2; satisfactory 10; unsatisfactory 10.
All unsatisfactory samples are followed up in an effort to trace lapses from strict cleanliness in manufactue,
storage or retailing.
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