The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-06

HOW To SAFEGUARD
STATE MILK SUPPLY
Special Committee Makes Re-
commentators
Inadequacy OF Statutes,
Which Leave Loopholes
Partial Report Presented to
Legislature

Legislature
Hartford, May 6.-The joint spe-
olution by the General Assembly to
investigate the conditions of sale and
distribution of the necessities of fife
presented a partial report yesterday.
The partial report concerned the sub
ject of milk and Cream
The committee remarks upon the
tendency to supplant the old-fashion-
ed "milk-man" by wholesalers ana
upon the magnitude to which the
BUSINESS has attained One firm tes-
titled that it received daily from 81
600 to 5000 quarts Of milk and from
1000 to 1000 quarts Of cream. The
bulk of the output of the large con-
Germs is disposed of in large sales, but
part of it is supplied directly to fam
lilies for domestic use. The larger
part Of the milk thus distributed is
bought from Connecticut dairies. The
big concerns receive their supply
from farmers 'in the vicinity" for
the most part, although other big
concerns receive the supply from
| smaller milk factories which act
as clearinghouse for the dairy
men of a particular district.
Considerable testimony was given
regarding the equalization of supply
from more remote sources during
the season when there is a natural
shortage of milk. Some dealers
bring so-called evaporated, or con-
densed milk, from distance, and by
| a process of thinning by mixing this
substance with skinned milk and
water, or water to reduce 1t to the
consistency of ordinary milk or cream
and to sell it as such to consumers.
Some dealers justify this proceeding
by saying that the evaporated milk is
simply freighted from a distance and
that only the water has been re-
| moved, so that it does not increase
the freight charges. They simply
put back the water again, when the
milk arrives at its destination. Medi-
cal testimony has convinced the COM
mittee, however, that the practice is
both dishonest and dangerous to the
public health and that the consumers
should be advised of the character of
the compound used by the dealers.
OF five samples of cream bought
from wagons Of milk dealers as the
natural product, and submitted to the
bacteriologist for eXamination,all were
found to have been adulterated, all
contained gelatine and one contained
lime and salts far in excess Of the
quantity in pure or unadulterated
cream. This adulteration of cream
is done to increase the quantity, to
give the cream a consistency and ap-
pearance which it would not other
able supply of the product. In this
case, as with the "rewatered milk
the public buys the product as nat
ural products, and the practice is
therefore dishonest on the part Of
the milk dealers. The most fire.
q mixture Of sugar and lime, used to
thicken cream, and gelatine, also u.s.
ed to thicken cream.
The report uses in full Dr. Wo1ff's
testimony on the possibility of the
gelatine adulterant not being clean,
that it is made from hoofs and bones
mot only from slaughter houses, but
of dead horses and diseased animals
o fall kinds, and this is softened and
put, in the milk for the purpose of
thickening it,
Analysis made under direction of
the committee proved that adulter-
ants were used in a part of the Con-
necticut milk supply. The commit
tee also is strongly of the opinion
that gelatine is used by firms outside
the state from which the supply is
taken. If the state is to safeguard
its milk supply, therefore, it must
devise some means of controlling, or
supervising the sources.
On, the subject of the pasteuriza-
ton process adopted by many of the
large dealers. the report has much to
say The process is used to proIong
the commercial life of the milk and
to destroy foreign matter and dis
ease, germs, preserving the sweetness
and the lasting qualities of the milk
1t was found however, that pasteur-
ization, was not always applied scien-
tifically and properly. Such being
the case, the committee believes that
consumers should be informed, by
labels, of the pasteurization of milk
that they buy. One firm testified that
in its plant the milk was heated to
a, temperature of 155 degrees, and
held there for the fractional part of
minute method condemned by
experts as unscientifc and unsafe. In
substantial conformity to the scien-
tific standards is the method of heat
ing milk to 143 degrees, holding it
there for twenty-five minutes, and
then cooling it to 70 degrees.
From evidence submitted, the COM
mittee believes pasteurization should
be applied imm ediately after the milk
is taken from the COW. But the pro-
Queer in this state has to bring the
milk in cans from various parts to
market and 1t is from a few hours to
three days old before it is pasteur
lied. When 1t is thus aged, milk
may become laden with alkaloid ,and
ptomaine poisons, caused by bacterial
action, which pasteurization cannot
correct. In this case it may pre-
vent it sourfng. but does not kill the
spores that exist in the milk, only
\
milk that should not in any case be |
used or sold. Pasteurization, as a |
for cleanliness in handling |
milk, should be properly applied to |
be effective in annihilating all the
Patio genie or disease-producing |
germs in the milk.
eff proper precautions are taking to |
guard the milk from contamination |
or Infection the report says, lana |
6airies and cattle are kept clean, any |
treatment is unnecessary. If it |
(pasteuriZatfon) becomes necessary, |
it ought to be done by persons pos
sessed of the technical knowledge en- |
abling them to do it properly and It |
should be done under a system Of |
state supervision or inspection" The |
committee also is of the opinion that |
pasteurized milk should be labelled |
as such, with the date of the treat
ment marked plainly on the bottle.
In the third section of the report, |
the committee treats of the made |
quacy of the statutes, calling atten-
ton to '1oop-holes' through which |
the dairyman could continue to mar
ket unclean milk and milk products |
even after he is fined. The COM |
mittee believes that the registration !
Of milk dealers should be made COM
pulsory by the General Statutes and |
not left to the officers of the munich !