ADULTERATED MILK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 21 February 1931, Page 6

ADULTERATED MILK

TAHUNA VENDOR FINED At the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon before Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., Arthur Stewart pleaded guilty to a charge of selling to Harry Coltman (food and drugs inspector) milk which did not comply with the standard prescribed by the regulation made under the Act in that it contained 5.4 per cent, of added water and was deficient in milk solids other than milk fat. In evidence defendant said he kept cows on 15 acres of land at Tahuna and employed Mr Somerville to do all the work in connection with the cows. Somerville milked the cows and made the delivery to customers in Tahuna. The milk round provided pocket money for his wife. On the day the Inspector took the test there was plenty of milk for the delivery. Defendant did not consider there was any water in the milk and sent a sample to be analysed. However, he found the result of the private test worse than the Inspector s test. All the same he did not know how the water got into the milk unless there was some left in the cans. Somerville had informed defendant that he was expecting the inspector to take a test at any time as the inspector had told him a week or two before that he would be looking him up soon. Thomas Martin Somerville said he did not put any water in the milk. There was plenty of milk for his delivery. Milk in excess ot that required was separated for butter making. The Inspector saw witness some time before the test was taken. The Inspector did not then take a sample of the milk as there was not much in the can. However, he told witness he would be along again soon. The Magistrate said he could not see how he could misbelieve the evidence, but it appeared that in all similar cases he had beard the water seemed to get into the milk in some. mysterious way. Defendant was convicted and fined £5, costs 10s, analyst’s fee, 10s 6d.