The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-10
MILK SUPPLY IS PROBLEM BEFORE
 HEALTH OFFICERS
Dr. Bowling Speaks of Milk Supply of City and Lauds Pasteurization = Merit
 System for Dairies

within five years in all American cities 90 per cent Of the milk offered for sale will be pasteurized said pr I. D.. Bowling, city health officer, yesterday, in speaking of the local milk situation.
 "Giving a city safe and economic sup ply of milk is problem that is today holding the interest not only of muni- cipal health officials but of public-spir- tied people and high-class dairymen everywhere.
 "scienoe has long ago found the cause of milk spoiage, and by simple means tlis decomposition can be eliminated. Heat, with it's potency of destroying, and could, with its retarding influence upon bacteria and all nicro-organisms. are, as far as is known, the best and most prac- tical methods of treating milk, and cer- tainly the most economical and easily handled Pasteurization is no great se- cret or chemical process; it is merely creation of a temperature of 40 degrees fahrenheit in milk for hall an hour When this heat is kept at steady pomt, the prescribed 40 degrees for thirty min utes, even. the taste of the milk IS im- proved.
 some persons WilO hlS dNNi ~ " f'N' teus,ization have simply come in contact with scorched milk, boiled milk or milk that has not been subjected to an even temperature. it may have been heated, the bacteria may have been killed, but it has not been pasteurized. for pasteur .zation is an adjective describing good milk, and if it has been spoiled 1t cer- .ainly is rot pasteLrized.
 'In really pasteurizing milk it must l. tl,n tom nor a Fa 40 degrees for half hour. then cooled to 5O degrees. or lower.
 This treatment does not destroy any of it's nutritive value or harm 1t as wholesome food Pasteurization does not destroy all bacteria, the life of the milk is not affected harmfully in any way that would hurt it for food or for any of the purposes to which milk is put. Its only effect is to insure the safety of the milk. to make for economy for the pro- fucer, dealer and consumer, for it keeps longer.
 '.Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria and retards the process of souring lengthening the life of the milk a. palatable beverage at least twenty-four hours.
 Birmingham is zgetting milk from 125 dairies. With summer coming on. the consumer could not be assured good product unless much of it is pasteurzed
 T wish to empha size that pasteuriza- tion is not a cure-all for VI can not take insanitarly produced milk. pas teurize 1t and be sure of wholesome nroduct Pasteurization is simply the final step in milk handling before it is offered the ultimate consumer, as far as the dairy is concerned. It does not n,al. weak milk rich or dirty milk clean.
 With sanitarX dairies pasteurlzing their product thel city is insured against an epidemic brought about through milk and milk is the most favorable breeding ground for many disease germs.
 The health department is now arrang- ing system of merit reckoning for the local Sairio- +ha- ie to te 'r'n1e ~''',l'r monthly. Each dairy will be inspected at least once a week samples chosen. and when their stock is delivered a sa nle selected from the general output. This will be graded for hutter fat content. solids con Aent. bacteria content and with the general sn~itation cf the dairy taken into the calc''atior, the dairy will he vraded -accordinglv The milk will be iidged from raw and pasteuri7ed san- nles. For the high mark in this grad ing the figure 100 will be used. It will denote a clean dairy. clean handling, enough solid matter and butter fat in the milk. and a bacteria count below COCO ba steria per cubic centimeter. be- fore pasteurization."