GISBORNE’S MILK

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12090, 1 November 1933, Page 5

GISBORNE’S MILK

BACTERIOLOGICAL CONTROL ••" OF SUPPLIES * - ;t;vvr SEQUEL TO 4i YEARS’ STUDY <‘A VERY HIGH GRADE” (Special to the Times) WELLINGTON, Oct. 31. f u the Department of Health’s annual report, Dr. H. B. Turbott, Medical Officer of Health says that after four and a-half years’ of close bacteriological control it has been demonstrated in. Gisborne that, without added cost to consumer, a vel .y high-grade milk can he produced, judged ’by the following standards T ( i) jTlie absence of living tubercle bacilli —guinea pig tests gative(2) The absence of epidemicproducing bacteria. (3) A low bacterial content, enhancing the keeping qualities. (4) Good nutritional value—chemical analyses of high standard.

ifjrivo years ago milks in this distriub were supervised by regular samplings for fat and milk solids content, and for gross- dirt by the cotton disk sedimentation test. On tho initiation of the East Cape district, chemical analyses of milk were continued, but the sedimentation test dropped, and bacteriological control substituted. In. Gisborne there are forty-five bulk milk suppliers- With the available laboratorv manned by one bacteriologist it was impossible to control these fort'V-five suppliers continuously at tho one time. Therefore monthly samples were taken from all suppliers in the first twelve months, and the supplies thereafter grouped, •‘good’’ and "poor” as regards bac-' tenjd quality. Control work thereatcfh fell into three divisions :

(1) The building-up, if possible, of quality milk of English "certified” standard. (2) The intermittent control of “good” quality milks. (3) The education of bad-quality milk suppliers. ■•A half-dozen of the "good” group were given continuous bacteriological control in an attempt to produce excellent-quality raw milk. The Health and Agriculture Departments’ inspectors worked in the closest co-operation in this work, involving : (a) Inspection and improvement of farm plants. 1 (b) Physical examination and tuberculin-testing of cows. (c) Laboratory examination of milk.

The prodcers responded by becoming and are obtaining excellent and consistent results. At the ds?triet office; histograms are compiled for eadli supplier, the monthly results being thus readily and variations graphically depicted to the producer. Meetings of suppliers have been con vened, and jointly addressed by the Agriculture tand! Health Departments’ inspectors. At one such meeting the graphic records were produced with good educational effect.: This group of interested 'suppliers are producing milk equivalent to the English certified standard. For example :—■ “Supplier S.N- has supplied raw. milk of English certified standard for over three years. His cows are examined by a veterinary surgeon three or more times yearly' and are tuberculin-tested at least twice yearly. The milk is cooled and bottled on the farm and delivered in bottles to the consumer. (As some consumers prefer unbottlecl milk this is also supplied). Bacillus ooli has been persistently absent in. 0.1 c.c. and' on only three isolated occasions in three and a-half years has the general count exceeded 30,000 colonies per cubic centimetre.. Apart from these, his average count has been 11AJ0 colonies per cubic centimetre '•Supplier C. B- maintains excellent standard. In three and a-half years only twice have B. coli been present in 0.1 c.c. and 30,000 colon, ies per cubic centimetre have been exceeded three times, once in each year 1929, 1930, and 1932. His average count for all other tests has been 11,150 colonies per cubic centimetre.

‘‘Any marked deviation above the ‘‘certified’’ standard of 30,000 col-' °uics per cubic centimetre and B. euli absent in 0.1 c-c. has been not 1 - fiod to the Government Veterinar-, ian, and often- a joint visit made to flit* farm for inspection of plant and animals. At times sources 1 of contamination have been traced by testing the sterility of the plant as, sot up by the producer just prior to the commencement of milking. This complete bacteriological testing has been 'most helpful in tracing (weakness in sterilisation and sources of pollution. “The same system has been simultaneously in operation in Whakatape, Opotiki, and l ‘Wair.oa townships, monthly samples from all sup pliers coming in tor bacteriological examination. In each place dose cooperation. is maintained ‘with the Agriculture Department’s inspector. From the 'bacteriological result one is often able to indicate the presence of diseased cows. For example, a count of 2,293,000 colonies (Streptococci present) negative Bacillus eoli, lead! toi & wire to the Health Department’s- inspector at Opotiki. He informed the agriculture inspector, who culled out two mammitis cows the same day from the herd in question. Pasteurisation is excellent safeguard against disease; it must''be efficient however, amM should be hacteriologically control*-/ f “Finally, ■-'Rer four and a-half years of buSteriological control, the. raw -milks of Gisborne Borough can he classified through, monthly samples a s follows: 10,000 colonies or less, 13 per cent.; 10,000 to 30,000 cronies, 35 per ‘ cent-; 30,000 to ICffiCOO. 29 per cent.; 100,000 to f■• ' - -

200,000, 9 per cent.; 200,000 tu 500,000, 7 P er cent.; 500,000 to 1,000,000, 21 -per cent.; 1,000,000 and oyer, : (5 -per cenlt“This should be very eseouraging to -both Health - and Agriculture Departments’ inspectors and! to the milk suppliers themselves, iwhen it is remembered that the Hnglish Milk Order nominated 30,000 and 200,000 colonies -per cubic centimetre as the level of “certified” and “Grade A tuberculin-tested” respectively.. There is no doubt that the bacteriological laboratory is invaluable to medical officers of health attemmptlng control and improve-ment's-of milk "supplies.”