MILK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 13, 19 August 1946, Page 5

MILK

IMPORTANCE AND PASTEURISATION

PARENTS AND TEACHERS ADDRESSED

A number of parents and others interested attended the social evening held in the High School last Monday evening, sponsored by the Whakatane Parent-Teacher Association. Mr Thompson, Government Health Inspector for the Bay of Plenty attended, and as the guest speaker for the evening, addressed the gathering, his subject being ‘Milk, its Importance and Pasteurisation/

In the absence of the Chairman, Rev. H. M. Bell, Miss L. M. Lawes was in the chair.

The evening opened with two items by the Whakatane Orchestral Society: “The Murray Moon” and “The Herd Girl’s Dream.” A further two numbers given later proved equally as popular, and received merited applause. Entertainment was also supplied by Mr F. Watson, whose vocal renderings of “A Rolling Stone” and “As You Pass By” were very much appreciated. An Important Product

Opening his address, Mr Thompson stated that milk was of the primest importance to New Zealand, which, computed on a population basis, was one of the greatest the Dominion with those in England, dairying countries of the world. He compared the number of cows in and showed that although the former had only one and a half ' million, against the Mother Country’s two and a third million, New Zealand’s dairy produce was as great, if not greater than England’s. Comparing the milk used for domestic purposes in the various countries, it was rather surprising to learn that New Zealand came almost at the bottom of the list with a consumption of two-thirds of a pint per person per day. Other countries registered as follows: England, 1 pint; Sweden, 1 2-3 pints; Germany, 1 1-3 pints; Denmark 1 2-5 pints; and America 1-| pints. The figure for America, he added, would probably be considerably higher if the consumption of icecream and such milk products were taken into account.

Sweden, he continued, was one of the greatest milk-consuming counties in the world, and their health figures were on the same par, due to the quantity of milk in the average diet. “New Zealanders,” he said “regard milk as merely something to put in their tea, and on their porridge.” Pasteurisation Dealing with pasteurisation, Mr Thompson stated that although milk was of such importance, it was also one of the greatest germ carriers. Milk should naturally be as free from contamination as possible. The argument that much of the food value of milk was lost in pasteurisation was incorrect. Actually vitamin 0 was the only content lost, and this was lost in any case immediately new milk was exposed to the daylight, and began to cool. It was, the speaker continued, a difficult proposition to convey milk straight from cow to consumer without any contamination whatsoever, unless it was pasteurised, for although the herds might be germfree, there was no guarantee that the persons handling the milk were not germ carriers. There was a variety of diseases which could be carried in milk, and all precautions should be taken to see that all germs were eliminated.

For the last part of his address, Mr Thompson utilised several films to illustrate his points. The first dealt with the necessity for keeping pasteurised milk covered, and in the latter part, with the variety of domestic uses to which milk could be put. The second, which was particularly interesting and all in colour, showed dairying in Canada, and depicted the different methods used, and the care taken to ensure that the milk was pure when it wds delivered into the hands of the con- / sumer. third film on the danger of spreading disease germs through sneezes, was both humorous and instructive.

Questions

In the period allotted, Mr Thompson was called upon to answer a number of questions. Later, the question-box,' for matters pertaining to the-school itself was opened, Mr Hubbard answering those deal-, ing with the actual running of the school, and Mr J. W. Wilson, Chairman of the School Committee, with those more in the sphere of the committee.

Arising from one such question, a resolution was formed to be forwarded to the Board pointing out

that although the school accommodation was being increased, there was no provision for either a sick bay or a changing room. The evening closed with the serving of a social suppei%