[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/104 (page 75)
    Milk Consumption, During tho milk year 1048-4!) ilic Count}' produced 80,To],()()() galknis of milk. Con¬ sumption jier liead per day of the population is ap))ro.\imately i pint wliicli includes that required by catering estal)lislnnents and milk bars. Dased on this figure the daily consumption is about 44,5(H) gallons. The surplus foi' manufacture into milk products, consumption outside the County and other uses is 1!);!,*2()1 gallons per tlay, ap])ro.\imately 81% of the total daily production of 237,674 gallons. With regard to the tyjtes of milk consumed, it is estimated that this amounts to 80% I’asteurised and “Tuberculin Tested” equally divided and 20% ”Accredited” or Undesignated. As mentioned previously, the Minister of Food may select districts to be called ‘‘Specified Areas in which only designated milks may be sold. The large towns and the districts on their fringe will no doubt be the first to receive attention. Priority of selection will depend upon the nund)er of pasteurising plants in the area, their capacity, also bottling facilities. Existing plants in Somerset are ca2)able of dealing with apj)roximately 45,000 gallons in a five hour run and over 63,000 in an opei-ational period of seven hours. These pasteurising units are fairly evenly distrib¬ uted throughout the County. From the 1st October, 1050 all milk sold as pasteurised must be sold in bottles or other containers which must be filled on the premises of a person holding a licence under the llegulations. From 1st October, 1954 the bottles or other containers must be filled at the i)asteurising premises. In view of these conditions more bottling ap2:)aratus is being installed. With sufficient quantities of pasteurised and ‘‘Tuberculin Tested” ndlk being avail¬ able to meet j^jublic demands, Somerset slioidd soon be in a i)osition to meet the requirements of a ‘‘S2)ecified Area.” Biological Sampling. Bulk sampling from ‘‘Accredited” and Undesignated herds resulted in 7 cases where tubercle bacilli was found in the milk. When 2)ositive results are obtained the information is 2)assed on immediately to the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for investigation. The table below gives the details of samples taken and results. Grade of Milk Number examined Number containing tubercle bacilli. Percentage containing tubercle bacilli Ungraded 243 7 1949 1948 2.9 3.5 Accredited 33 1 3.3 2.9 Tuberculin Tested 35 — 1.5 Churns, Milk Bottles and Containers. The tables below summarise the results of the check tests made on churns and milk con¬ tainers up to the 3)()th SejTember, 1040 when this ceased to be a general routine matter following the ti’ansfer of functions respecting Designated milk i)roducers to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on the 1st October, 1040.