MILK CONDEMNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22995, 24 March 1938, Page 8

MILK CONDEMNED

MELBOURNE'S SUPPLY HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT PASTEURISATION URGED CONSUMERS ALARMED [from ouk owtf correspondent] MELBOUKNE. March 17 The City Health Officer, Dr. John Dale, has thrown a bombshell among Melbourne milk consumers by Baying that only a very small percentage of the city's milk supply is either good or safe. The publication of Dr. Dale's report is claimed to have led to an immediate decrease in consumption. This is in face of all the "drink more milk" propaganda of the Metropolitan Milk Producers' Association, and that of the State Milk Board, which recently caused an upset of its own by introducing a comprehensive milk zoning plan to the metropolitan area. At a meeting with milk producers this week, Dr. Dale reiterated his statement that Melbourne's milk was not wholly safe. Ho told them they could never be sure of a rich, clean and safe supply until all milk was pasteurised. Nevertheless, he declared, it was safer to drink milk from the present supply than to go without it.

' Supply Must be Made Saler The president of the producers' association, Mr. W. 0, Cayley, Btrongly criticised Dr. Dale's remarks. He said that the association's tests proved that Melbourne was getting a milk supply Buperior to that of any city in the world—even better than the "much advertised" "Wellington, New Zealand, supply. The contract system was now working well. Dr. Dale said he regretted that the publicity given to his report should have led to a decrease in consumption. More milk had to be consumed; every child 6hould have at least a pint a day, and every adult at least half a pint. The city supply, however, would have to be made safer. At present it was not safe. No milk could be considered safe until it had been boiled before drinking or pasteurised. By that -he did not mean merely put through a pasteurising plant, but properly treated, bottled and sealed with proper equipment and without human contact. Germs Thrive and Multiply The tendency to concentrate on bulk milk supplies greatly increased the likelihood of contamination and epidemics. All germs, except those perhaps of tuberculosis, multiplied and thrived on milk.

>"1 take samples regularly from dairies and carts," Dr. Dale said. "Only a proportion of them comes up to a reasonable standard. Instead of getting better, standards have been getting rather worse.

"You can find contagious abortion germs in about 20 per cent of the samples taken in • the city. You can never be sure that you do not get human disease germs in milk. That is why I want pasteurisation ... You cannot pasteurise milk in the country; it has to be done in the city—and the sooner it is done the better."