238 Principles of Legislative Milk Control. 



Labeling and Dating of Milk. 



The commission voted that all milk should be labeled and 

 marked with the grade in which- it is to be sold. In dating milk 

 uniform methods should be adopted for all grades of both raw 

 milk and pasteurized milk, both using the day of the week or both 

 using the day of the month. All milk should be dated uniformly 

 with the date of delivery to the consumer. Eaw milk should not 

 be dated with the date of production, while pasteurized milk is 

 dated with the date of pasteurization, since this places certified 

 milk at a disadvantage by making it possible for pasteurized milk 

 of a lower grade to carry a later date. The stamping on the label 

 of the day of the week is sufficient for dating. 



Bacteria. 



The subject of bacteria in milk received more attention than 

 any other matter brought before the commission. The commission 

 recognizes that bacteria in milk in the majority of instances indicate 

 dirt, or lack of refrigeration, or age, while in the minority of 

 instances the bacteria of disease may be present. The routine 

 laboratory methods for examining milk have as their purpose only 

 the control over dirt, refrigeration, and age, and it is a rare thing 

 for a laboratory to undertake the examination of milk for the 

 bacteria of disease because of the extreme difficulties in detecting 

 them. The more efficacious method of protecting milk from infec- 

 tion by the bacteria of human contagion is by medical, veterinary, 

 and sanitary inspection, and by pasteurization. Milk with a high 

 bacteria count is not necessarily harmful, but when used as a food, 

 particularly for children, is a hazard too great to be warranted. 

 Milk with a high bacteria count, therefore, should be condemned. 

 Milks with small numbers of bacteria are presumed to be whole- 

 some, unless there is reasonable ground for suspecting that they 

 have been exposed to contagion. 



Bacterial Standards. 



The commission recognizes the difficulty in interpreting 

 bacteria counts. At times misleading conclusions have been drawn 

 from such counts. In establishing the bacterial standards for a 

 city it is always necessary to take into consideration the necessary 

 age of the milk and in lesser measure the distance hauled and 

 methods employed in its hauling. It will always be possible for 

 a community which consumes milk produced on its own premises, 

 or within 12 hours of its production, to insist upon and maintain 

 a lower bacterial standard than can one where the milk is hauled 



