OUR MILK STANDARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 8, 9 January 1914, Page 8

OUR MILK STANDARD.

WHAT TEST AND INSPECTION HAS DONE. NO TROUBLE TO MAINTAIN THE C.2.3 MARK. THE PUMP SUPPLY ABOLLSHED. The milk standard and the purity of tlte laoteal tluid are matters of jealous jruardianship nowadays by authorities ! watchful of the public health, for the day has gone when an enterprising vendor of milk could repair any deficit in his herd's supply by a generous use of the punip handle, and cleanse his cans just ai any old time the seizure took him. Over in Victoria recently the Board of Health has been holding an inquest to discover whether the existing standard of .?..3 per cent of solid fats in milk should be reduced, owing to complaints by dairymen that i! is too high. but the health officer sets Ms face rigorously against any such reduction. In view of this inquiry, it is interesting to know how matters are flupinj: nearer home on the important subject of milk supply and .standard. Auckland, it w.is stated in the course of a discussion in the recent session of Parliament, holds a. rather enviable place amonp the cities of the Dominion for the purity and quality of its present milk etippfy, a statement thit appears to 'lie pretty well borne out by ofJieial reports. As to our m-ilk standard, the minimum fixed for the Dominion is ;>.i"> per cent of solid fats. and when it was fixed a few years ago there was a good deal of oittvry from dairymen accustomed to the old punrp-handlr emergency for repairing shortejrre. An exhaustive series of treU by Dr. .l-is. Mad&arin, Government Analvwt, proved the reason a-bliTirre of t'.ie 3.25 standard, and the result )ms been that Uie people of New Zealand are row ermvinced that the native :ind genuine colour of milk is while, with ocva-.+ionui variants to a creamy richness, rather than a watery blue.

Discussing the subject of milk teat? with a Pressman Ihis morning. l)r Mak frill. Healtli Officer fur the Auckland district, said that as a matter of fact She average quantity of mill: ::o\v supplied to consumers goes a good deal over the •i.17) standard, while complaints ;'s to the severity of this test have erased for some time. "The average milk, unless the herd has l>een badly led and treated, will run well into the 4 per cents of solid fats, while failure to reach the .'!.-2r> murkis really a confession of failure on the part of the dairyman." remarked tin , dot-tor, adding: "In eases where we have reason to think that failure to reach tins standard is not due to adulteration of the milk but sec.m.s to be mischance regarding feed, we are always prepared to take this into consideration. Occasionally in wet weather where the herd is a poor one the milk may approach the such eases we generally warn the dairyman that his milk is below standard hefore taking proceedings. This gives him an opportunity tn reorganise his methods of feed and ?o forth. It, however, through persistent carelessness a man fails to produce milk of the proper standard we consider ourselves perfectly justified iv prosecuting him. not because of any dishonest action, but simply because the mnn is selling milk of inferior .i-iality.- - H is interesting to know that although the quality of vended milk ha; so grentlv improved'of late years, lhere are stii! a number oi suppliers who require the -pur of the Departmental inspection to keep them up to the .prescribed mark". ■Last year the Health Department's officers took "271 sample- of milk in the Auckland district for test. and 41 prosecutions for milk adulteration, with a conviction in each case, followed. .The lines inflicted, ranged from a .-hilling to £20. and aggregated, ahout .C2OO.