THE BACTERIOLOGY OF ICE CREAM 

 B. W. HAMMER 



Within the last few years, the growth of the ice cream in- 

 dustry has been phenomenally rapid. Instead of being a 

 product associated with holidays and similar occasions, ice 

 cream has become a common confection and standard dessert 

 that is readily available in even the smallest towns. Its manu- 

 facture has grown from a home, or at least a local affair, to 

 an industry of immense magnitude with regular shipments 

 over steam and electric roads to large numbers of dispensing 

 establishments. 



The rapid development of the ice cream business has in- 

 troduced numerous problems, many of which are essentially 

 bacteriological in nature. The enormous demands that are 

 made by the manufacturers on the sweet cream supply, 

 especially during the warm months when shipping is more 

 difficult and when the amount of milk produced is ordinarily 

 decreasing, have necessitated the institution of various ship- 

 ping procedures. Suitable methods of holding cream have 

 been required, not only to provide for possible heavy demands 

 but also to take care of over-stocks during cool weather. Sharp 

 competition, with the consequent tendency to more efficient 

 methods and a better product, has likewise necessitated pro- 

 cedures that inevitably involve bacteriological considerations, 

 and the public health side has been considered because with 

 the increase in the consumption, the importance of ice cream 

 as a means of spreading disease has been realized and an 

 effort made to decrease the danger from this source. 



THE NUMBERS OF BACTERIA IN ICE CREAM 



The numbers of bacteria present in ice cream have been 

 studied by many laboratories, particularly those associated 

 with health departments. The cubic centimeter has been 



