UNSATISFACTORY MILK SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23949, 17 May 1943, Page 6

UNSATISFACTORY MILK SUPPLY

MEDICAL EVIDENCE AT DUNEDIN (P.A.) DUNEDIN, May 15. The opinion that the milk supplied to Dunedin consumers, and the pasteurisation carried out, were not satisfactory. was expressed by Dr. Watt, senior assistant to the Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Otago, v hen giving evidence before the Cities Milk Commission. At the same time, evidence by medical witnesses tended to show that proper pasteurisation was the safest method of ridding milk of infection. Dr. T. McKibbin, district health officer, expressed the opinion that milk supplies were generally satisfactory. He undrstood that the local plant for sterilising bottles was not big enough to cope with the number of bottles and unless those were properly sterilised the protection of pasteurised milk might be illusory. A statement from Professor C. E. Hercus was read, which summed up the tests as showing that the standard of raw milk was generally of poor hygienic quality, and that after pasteurisation it was frequently recontaminated before being received by the consumer.