SAMPLING OFFICER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27091, 27 May 1949, Page 4

SAMPLING OFFICER

CITY MILK DELIVERIES METROPOLITAN BOARD’S DECISION IMPROVEMENT OF STANDARDS The Dunedin Metropolitan Milk Board decided last night to call applications fos a sampling officer in an endeavour to improve the standard of milk delivered in the city. Mr N H. Shepherd said that a subcommittee comprising himself and Mr N D. Anderson had recommended in March that a sampling inspector should be appointed. He asked that this recommendation should be put into effect. The services of a sampling officer would enable the quality of the milk in Dunedin to be improved. Prosecutions were not desired. That was the function of the Health Department. Mr J. G. Barnes said that he thought that an inspector would be a waste of public money. In reply to a question by Mr E. J. Smith, Mr T. McD. Foster, representing the Department of Agriculture, said that about 2500 gallons of milk were delivered in Dunedin daily which were not tested. This was delivered by producer-vendors, or sold direct to vendors by producers. The secretary, Mr A. E. Russell, reported that as a result pf representations to supply associations in Dunedin, an offer had been received from one of them of a trial of a sampling scheme for two months. The farmers would provide samples in bottles provided by the board, and these could then be tested. The scheme would be a voluntary one. This scheme was supported by Mr Foster, who said that it would be a start on the sampling of milk which at present was not yet tested. Mr E. J. Smith said that the samples taken would not be admissible as samples under the Food and Drugs Act. If one sampling officer were appointed, it might be found that others were required later to provide an adequate inspection of all the milk delivered in Dunedin. At this stage, advocates of both sides of the question engaged in a cross-table conference, which closed when Mr Anderson moved that a former resolution of the board in Mhrch, that a sampling officer should be appointed, be implemented. This was carried, Messrs Anderson. Shepherd and T. McAhan voting for the motion and Messrs Barnes and Smith voting against it.