MILK DEFICIENT IN FAT

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1935, Page 4

MILK DEFICIENT IN FAT

WHANGAREI VENDOR FINED SUGGESTED EXPLANATIONS. Walter Henry Phillips was charged today,: before Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., at the Whangarei Police Court, with selling milk containing less than 3| parts per. cent., of milk fat, thereby failing to comply' with the standard prescribed, Senior-Sergeant Finch said that a sample was analysed and was found to contain only 2 per cent, of fat There was no suggestion of water. It might have been caused by poor cows or skimmed milk, but no reason had been given by. the analyst.

Mr Trimmer, for Phillips, said that the low test was not due to water. .It was also not due to poor cpws, as the herd was a good one, owned by a prominent man in Whangarei. Neither was it due to skimming. It was maintained that it was due to the fact that the milk had not been' stirred.

Three gallons had been left in a vat for bottling by a boy while Phillips went out to deliver other milk from the same vat. As the milk remaining had not been stirred, the fats had risen to the top. The milk was not deficient in solids but in fat only, and the inspector had come in and taken a sample of this milk that had just been bottled.

The inspector, Mr C. D. Wykes, said the public would be taking a big risk if they relied on stirring to get that sort of a test. It was a possible explanation. A fine of £1 and costs 10/6 was imposed.