A CAUSE OF LOW TEST.

Shannon News, 24 February 1925, Page 3

A CAUSE OF LOW TEST.

An English paper tells of a case at Grantham, Yorkshire, where a wellknown farmer was proceeded against for supplying milk to a retailer which, on analysis, was found to be deficient in milk fat. The defence did not question the accuracy of the analysts' cer» tificate, but relief on their proving that the milk was delivered just as it came from the cows, and the theory was advanced that during the long period that elapsed between the afternoon and the morning milklngs the cows reabsorbed a certain amount of the milk fat. The public analyst for Grantham was the principal witness for the pro. secution, and lie admitted that if the period between the two daily milkings wa s unduly prolonged there was a certain amount of re.arbsorption or fat, and the milk was poorer than ftt should be. He thought that the period between 3 p.m. and 6.30. a.m. was too long, and a certain amount of tax would be re-absorbed. After defendant had proved that the milk had not been tampered with after it left the cows, the magistrates dismissed the case. Commenting on this decision of. the court, Professor Dean states that there is general agreement among those who have investigated this question, that this actually takes place and. accounts for the fact that where there is much difference in the length or time between milkings, the shorter period milk in nearly every case tests higher in fat than will the milk pro. duced during the longer period. Where the difference is not more than an hour or two the difference in the percentage of fat in the two milklngs would not be very great, but where several hours* difference is the rule it would be quite safe to assume that milk produced under such conditions would test very low in fat. Professor Dean thinks the magistrate in the case mentioned, acted wisely in dismissing the case.