PROTECTION OF MILK

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 12

PROTECTION OF MILK

Protest Made To Board

A letter which alleged milk was being exposed to light between the time it left the milk treatment station and reached the consumer was read at a meeting of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board yesterday afternoon. The letter was from Mr E. P. B. Maxwell, of Rastrick street. Merivale. Part of Mr Maxwell's letter read: “We are told that the R vitamins are the most important for our health: that milk is the chief source of these: and that a large percentage of them can be lost with even limited exposure to sunlight. Nevertheless one can take a eruise round any sunny morning and see one’s milk gleaming white on its vans from afar with not an attempt made to keen it covered, and that though it is illegal to have more than two cases (or three, is it?) uncovered at a time.

“On Sunday mornings, especially, one can see cases of it roasting outside the shops that sell it, or in midafternoons see it open to the skies in the yards behind. What the Health Department has spent to date on its leaflets and paper advertisements telling us to ‘Keep it dark’ would probably surprise us all.” The supervising officer for the milk board (Mr A. P. Millthorpe) advised that arrangements would be made for the board's inspector to obtain further details from Mr Maxwell and to check both vendors and shops where improper protection of milk before delivery was alleged. Details would be submitted to the board. Mr Millthorpe said proposals for permanent covered milk delivery vehicles were at present under consideration.

“I think it largely an exaggeration. but when people want to make a point they do exaggerate a little." said the chairman (Mr W. E Olds), commenting on the letter.

“If we find some are not complying with the regulations we will ask them to comply,” he said.