INCREASED MILK SAMPLING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23701, 28 July 1942, Page 4

INCREASED MILK SAMPLING

CITY COUNCIL GIVES AUTHORITY

PROVISION OF TRANSPORT Authority for the milk committee to arrange for the sampling of milk, supiect to a suitable arrangement with the Department of Health, was given bv the City Council last evening. It was'explained that the intention was for the council to lend an inspector to the Department of Health and provide a car and petrol for his use. Th® previous arrangement, under which the department provided the transport and the council the inspectors, was terminated by the department. Of 4850 milk samples received at tne Christchurch Government Laboratory in 1941, only 1040 were official samples for the Christchurch retail supply. An increase of this number to at least 2500 was recommended by the Director or the Dominion Laboratory in a report forwarded to the council by the Department of Scientific and Industrial R^ss&rch. “Current sampling of milk supplies in Christchurch is being undertaken to the fullest extent possible by the departmental officers at present available for the work. Instructions have been issued that special care must be taken in the supervision of milk supplies since the new zoning system has been inaugurated,” stated a letter from the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer).. The letter was in reply to the council’s request for information as to the measures taken by the department to supervise the supply in Christchurch. It stated that for the year 1941, 4850 samples were taken in Christchurch as against 4828 in Auckland and 4523 in Wellington. Full Facilities for Testing The council also made representations to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, asking that the Government Analyst be provided with the necessary assistance to enable him to give full attention to the testing of milk samples. The Director of the Dominion Laboratory, in reply, stated that there were already full facilities for testing milk and that additional staff was not necessary. The director said he did not consider it advisable or necessary to provide facilities for milk vendors to have milk samples analysed at nominal cost, as the council suggested. “If a vendor purchasing milk from a supplier suspects that the milk supplied to him is adulterated, he can inform the Department of Health, who would take appropriate action,” he added. ‘‘ln the case of a producer-vendor, there is rarely need for an analysis because with, a reasonably well-selected herd, kept under good conditions, the milk supplied will invariably comply with the regulations. In the rare cases where an analysis is required, a supplier should employ a private analyst. ‘‘l may add that I consider that for city supplies a system either private or municipal, where milk is brought to a central depot and purchased to strict specifications, paid for on grade and all poor quality milk rejected, is the most desirable. This system has been adopted by the Wellington City Milk Depot with conspicuous success.” Health Deartment’s Service Had the Health Department been given proper service? asked Cr. C. D. Sheppard, who said the figures did not suggest that it had. Sooner or later, he thought, the council would have to put on its own inspectors. It seemed to be the department’s desire to have municipalisation and pasteurisation, but with a properly controlled zoning system there was no reason why consumers should not have iaw milk of the best quality. Cr. M. E. Lyons, chairman of the finance committee, said he and Cr. J. N. Clarke, chairman of the milk committee, had conferred and arranged, up to a point, a better system of milk inspection. It was clear that the job was being only one-third done by the department. He regretted that the council had to do it, because it was not the council’s job. “We feel that the Health Department has let us down,” said the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews). “I think we shall have to provide inspectors. We. have been willing to provide the inspectors, and, rather than take any chances, I think we should provide the transport, even if it means buying a small car.” Replying to Cr. Mary McLean, the Mayor said almost all consumers were getting their choice of raw or pasteurised milk. He had no knowledge of any vendors who were not supplying milk suitable for infants. Answering Cr. G. D. Griffiths, Cr. Lyons said one firm had been given permission to deliver milk later than the usual hour. The permission was for the winter only and was given because the firm had to employ women. An important point was that the milk so delivered was 12 hours’ fresher than the ordinary supply when it reached the consumer. Cr. Clarke said the proposal to provide increased inspection would be dealt with by the milk committee in a fortnight’s time. The Mayor made it clear that the council would pass on all complaints by consumers to the proper quarter.