CERTIFIED MILK. 143 



promises to be useful in bringing about a more careful con- 

 trol of the public milk supply, and in rendering this extremely 

 valuable food product of a more reliable nature. 



Certified Milk. A third method, which has been recently 

 adopted, is a modification of the last. Here a certificate is 

 given to the product rather than the source. In the city of 

 New York, for example, a board of experts has been organ- 

 ized and agree, under certain conditions, to give to milk 

 distributors a certificate of the character of their milk. 

 The milk companies that wish the certificate of this board 

 submit their milk to its inspection and examination. The 

 milk is tested chemically and bacteriologically and a careful 

 examination is made of the condition of the milk distribution. 

 In this case the examination of the milk by the experts is the 

 basis of the certificate and a direct inspection of the dairies 

 from which the milk has been obtained is not necessarily 

 made, although the dairies may be visited and a general set 

 of rules for conducting them is formulated and is given to the 

 dairymen for their guidance. If it is found that the milk 

 has a proper chemical quality and the number of bacteria 

 falls below a certain point, the milk of the distributor in ques- 

 tion is given the certificate of the board. In order that the 

 number of bacteria should be no greater than the somewhat 

 small maximum allowed by the board, it is quite necessary 

 that the conditions of production and distribution should 

 have been satisfactory, that the milk must have been kept 

 cool, and must not be too old. In general, therefore, such 

 certified milk will be reliable. The expense of the organiza- 

 tion of the board of inspectors must, of course, be borne by 

 the distributor who receives the certificate, and must natur- 

 ally be reimbursed to him by the consumer of the milk. Con- 

 sequently, the price that is demanded for such certified milk 

 is higher than the price obtained for the ordinary milk 

 supply. The difference in price of the certified milk and that 

 of the ordinary milk supply is not sufficient to prevent the 



