CERTIFIED MILK.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19957, 18 June 1930, Page 8

CERTIFIED MILK.

HOME METHODS. A correspondent writes enclosing ,ari extract from an article in the "Lancet" of March 22nd, by Thomas Orr, M.D., D.Sc., Medical, Officer of Healthy Eal-, ing, on "The Significance and Value.of Examination of Milk." . Our correspondent thinks that the information, may be of use to the people of Christchurch at the present moment: — "The Milk Order has made it possible for the consumer to purchase milk of certain definite grades,, produced under definite conditiqps, ■■ ■ .and with some- guarantee as to practical content.

"First of all, Certified Milk, which must be obtained from a tuberculin tested herd of cows, which must be produced with the exercise of strict cleanliness, and be cooled and bottled at the. farm, where it is produced. The cap of the bottle must have printed on it the name of the producer, the day of production, and the name of the grade. It must not contain more than 30,000 bacteria per c.cnj., and the absence of coliform bacilli should be proved in 1/100 c.cm. The cost of this milk is double that of ordinary milk. "The next in quality is grade A (tuberculin tested) milk, which must be obtained from a tuberculin tested herd, and produced with particular care, and cooled at the farm. It need not be bottled at the farm, and ia usually transported, in labelled churns to the retailers' premises, where it is bottled. This grade of milk is allowed up to 200,000 bacteria per c.cm. It can usually be produced at 50 per cent, above ..the price of ordinary xnilk. "Grade A comes next in the scale of goodness. This is often thought by the public —but wrongly—to bo the highest grade of milk. It is produced with P® r " ticular caro at the cowshed, but the cows undergo physical tests only at regular intervals. The milk must be cooled at the farm where it is produced, but need not be bottled there. It is allowed the same bacterial test as the previous grade. This grade docs not give much guarantee of from the bacillus of tuberculosis, and in the view of many does not deserve inclusion among the special grades on acconnt of tb "These last two grades must be delivered to the consumers in the bottles or the sealed containers, as received from the farm, in suitablo containers of not less than two gallons' capacity, or in bottles with the name of the dealer by whom the milk was bottled, with the day of production and the name of the grade , on the cap of ..each bottle.