Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-10
Dairy inspectors Quarterly Report.

State dairy inspector, has just COM
pleted his quarterly report on the milk
conditions at the present time in the
State of Maine He says in opening:
That inspection should be brought
about by persuasion rather than by
prosecution is accepted the country
over and this is especially true in the
case of inspection of dirty milk. Local
inspectors should exercise great care
in this particular matter" He contin-
ues: \
Rules or suggestions made by To-
cal board of health will undoubtedly be
accepted by a majority of milk produc-
ers in any locality, when they are
within reason. Reasonable suggestions
will be accepted while police procedures
will be resented.
"Of course cases Of watered or SKIM
med milk should be prosecuted with
the full penalty of the law. But. there
have been instances when herd milk
has been below standard. This is be-
cause most cows in the herd produce
milk low in fat, and because of this
characteristic. such COWS should be
dried and turned into beef. Retailers,
buying milk that is under standard, up
on receiving such a report from this
department or from a local inspector,
should investigate and refuse to buy
milk that is not up to the standard re-
quired by law.
Scope Of Dairy instruction.
Under Chapter 35 of the Public
Laws of 1909 the commissioner of ag-
riculture has authority to inquire into
and investigate the production. manu-
facture, transportation. storage and
sale of milk. cream. butter and all other
dairy products. substitutes therefor and
limitations thereof. The sum of $4,000
is appropriated annually for this work.
"The work that has been done and is
now being done consists in the dairy
instructor travelling from place to place.
especially to cities and the larger towns
and taking samples of milk. cream and
other dairy products. from wagons,
stores and depots and sending them to
the Maine Agricultural Experiment
station at Orono where they are ana
lyzed for butter fat, solids not fat. and
total solids, as we'll as being examined
for visible sediment.
Recent criticism Of this method OF
inspection has been made and this de-
partment has been asked why it did not
carry out a more thorough inspection
by determining the number and types
of bacteria present in market milk. 1t
is enough to say that to carry out such
a thorough inspection would be very
expensive. 1t would be necessary to
maintain laboratory that could be
carried about from place to place,
Where such determinations could be
made in the immediate locality where
the milk is sold. Bacteria multiply
very rapidly and could not be honestly
determined if the samples were sent
either to Augusta or Orono.
ITO accommodate the State such an
inspection as mentioned in this criti-
cism would be very expensive and far
in excess the $4,000 appropriated for
dairy inspection.
1T is, then. the purpose of this de-
partment chiefly to determine If the
milk and cream offered for sale in the
State of Maine is up To- standard as
regards the percentage of butter fat,
solids, not fat and total solids in them.
Even our work along this line is limited
by the appropriation available.
1T is then necessary to leave the
matter of bacterial content and bacte-
rial infection of milk and cream to the
| state and local boards of health. ~.
"In regard to dairy products. other
than milk and cream, observations are
made to determine if packages of but
ter are stamped with their net weight
and If the net weight of their contents
is as stated. Further observations are
made to see that oleomargarine and rem
ovated butter are labelled as such, in
addition to bearing the net weight of
the contents Of the package"