Evening star., 1915-06-03
ON CARE OF MILK
BY DAIRY SPECIALISTS
Advice Made Public to Meet the
Conditions of Coming
Hot Weather.
Dealers and Consumers Told How to
Keep the Product Free
of Bacteria.

Advice and warning as to how milk
should he cared for in the dairy, how
it should he safeguarded from contain
ination in delivery and how kept pure
and sweet in the home are contained in
an article given publicity by the dairy
SPECIALISTS Of The Department of Agri-
culture.
This praCtscai summary of the care Of
milk IS given at this time because the
ap2roa ching warm weather matches the
bacteria in the milk when it is allowed
to stand IN the sun or warm place,
because the flies and other germ carriers
are coming into their busy season when
iheF prove Il most dangerous contaminat
ing agency and because the clouds of
dust also spread filth and disease.
The government specialists on the care
of milk say that IT is regarded as
naturai culture medium for bacteria, and
the raptdity with which the various forms
will multiply. under the proper tempera
lures, is astonishing. II has been shown
that if a cubic centmeter (about a half
teaSpuonfuD of milk containing ten bac
terra is kept at bS degrees temperature
for twenty-four hours the bacteria will
have multiplied into about 81 900 In
the same milk. if held at 80 degrees, the
growth of bacteria would be very small.
possibly as low as forty in tWenty-four
hours. Milk which contains large num-
Der of bacteria is either not fresh or has
come from a diseased cow or has other
wise been contaminated.
Flies Rated Most Dangerous.
Flies are possibly the most dangerous
bacteria carriers which are likely to come
in
may convey the germs of typhoid fever
or other contagious diseases from the
sick room or excreta to the milk. Ty-
phoid epidemics have been caused by
flies spreading the germs. Milk should
be guarded from flies as vigorously as
vou would avoid exposure to disease.
MIX may be handled by the farmer in
the most correct and sanitary methods
known. and yet if it is not cooled i'm
mediately after milking and kept cool
until consumed it very soon begins to
change and grow sour.
Milk may absorb impurities when
ever it is exposed to the air or placed
in unclean vessels. The amount or
degree of contamination depends on
the cleanliness of the air and of the
utensil. Even the air of so-called
clean room contains some impurities.
If the producer and dealer have done
their duty, there is left at the con-
sumer's door a bottle of clean, cold,
unadulterated milk. But the consumer
also has responsibilities in handling
milk so that it continues to be fit for
consumption, especially as food Cor
babies. The milk in the home may be
placed in unclean vessels or exposed
unnecessarily to the air, or not kept
cool until the time of using.
Receiving Milk at the Home.
THE expression a bottle of clean,
cold. unadulterated milk describes the
kind of milk which should be delivered
to the home The method of dipping
milk from large cans and pouring it
into the customers receptacle in the
street, with all the incident exposure
to the air, not always the cleanest. is
a bad practice. Drawing milk from
the faucet of a retailers can is almost
sa bad as dipping milk. although the
milk is not exposed to the air as long
as bad as dipping milk. although the
the insanitary part of this method.
some consumers. unless the milk is
kept well agitated, ire likely to re-
ceive less than their proportion of
cream. The custom of setting out at
night an uncovered vessel which coll
lects thousands of bacteria from the
street dust before the milk is put into
1t is obviously very insanitary, and
yet it is practiced to a large extent.
If milk is to be received in bowl or
pail by the consumer, it is worth while
to have it delivered personally to some
member of the family. or if the recep-
tacle is to be placed in waiting for the
milk deliverer, it should he covered
with a plate. or, better still. glass
preserving jar may be used. in which
nothing but milk is put. The jars
with the glass tops are preferable; no
rubber bands should be used.
''Direct sunlight on the bottle of milk
warns it rapidly, and increases the
transferred from the original bottle
into another receptacle until Just be-
fore consumption. The bottle should
be kept covered with a paper cap or
an inverted tumbler as long as the
milk is in it. Milk deteriorates by ex-
posure to the air in the pantry, kitchen
or nursery. Milk from the grocery
store or bakery which is kept in a can,
open most of the time, and possibly
without refrigeration, is to be strictly
avoided.
Care Of the Refrigerator.
The refrigerator. unless kept scrup-
ulously clean, often is in itself a source
>of the production of bad flavor in
milk. The refrigerator should be in
spected at short intervals, at which
ilIneS tHc outIcl IOT tIe melted ice
should be freed. the ice-rack cleaned
and the place where the food is kent
scalded with sal-soda solution
Milk bottles are made for milk and
not to hold sundry other foods. As
soon as the milk bottle is empty II
should be rinsed with lukewarm water
until 1t is clean. and then set bottom
side-up to drain All utensils with
which milk comes in contact should he
rinsed, washed and scalded everv time
they are used. When cleaning these
utensils, do not wash them in dish
water or wipe with ordinary dish
towels. First rinse them and then hoil
in clear water and set away unwiped.
'"When a baby is bottle fed every
time the feeding bottle and minnie ara
used they should be rinsed in luke
warm water washed in hot wafer to
which a small amount of washing soda
has been added and then scaided
Never use a rubber tube between the
bottle and nipple.
IF a case of typhoid fever. scarlet
fever or diphtheria breaks out in the
family, do not return any bottles to
the milkman except with the kuoWl-
edge of the attending physician.
The above suggestions on the care
of milk are equally applicable to
cream. Often the housewife finds that
the cream she has Will not whip. The
departments dairy specialists point out
that to obtain satisfactory results in
whipping cream it shouH be cold and
of the right thickness, containing