[Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset Council
Date:
1947
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1947] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/70 (page 44)
    “W'liy does iiiy milk fiiil”, is a common ([ucstion. Generally it is due to insufficient attention being paid to the thorough cleansing of utensils and apparatus. Efficient sterilisation of milking pails and plant immediately after milking is the best insurance against milk of poor keeping qiudity. As Somerset produces about 0% of the country’s total milk supply, it is most essential, particularly in these times, that producers and those to whom the milk is consigned should work- in the closest co-operation and take all steps necessary to see that milk is not wasted through avoidable causes. Samples taken during the year and the test results are as follows:— Bulk S.vmi'les: T.T. 3,700 Satisfactory .. 2,924 % Unsatisfactory 20.9 Accredited ... 3,411 do. 2,590 do. 24.0 Totals 7,111 5514 Farm Bottled : 370 do. 74 do. 16.7 The above figures include pre-licence, extra sampling and reinstatement samples. The rather high percentage of the samples found unsatisfactory were in the main due to the August results. Tn this month out of 583 samples taken 378 or 64.8% failed to safsfy the test. Routine inspections of designated producers’ premises have been maintained and a con¬ siderable number of advisory visits have been paid. With a view to assisting in tracing the cause of samjfies failing, numerous check rinses of milking machines and ai^paratus were taken. Pasteurised and Heat Treated Milk, At the request of the Ministry of Food the Sampling Officers take samples fortnightly at depots authorised by the Ministry to heat treat milk. By arrangement with district authorities, samples of Pasteurised milk are also taken at similar intervals. I'he sairiples taken and results are as follows:— Samples taken. 683 Satisfactory. 611 Failed Phosphatase test only ,, Phospluitasp test and Methylene Blue ,, Methylene Blue test only % Unsatisfactory. 10.5 1.8 0.3 8.3 Where samples fail, in co-operation with the IMinisti-y of Food and officials of district authoi'ities, advisory visits are paid to the de])ois coticerned. Biological Sampling. Routine bnlk sam])ling from “Accredited ’ and nndcsignnted ber'ds is carried out by the Sanitary Inspectors and the samples pnbnnttod to the Pnblic ITeaJth Tadioratory for test. When positive results are obtained these are commnnicated immediately to the Pivisional Inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishei’ies:—