240 Principles of Legislative Milk Control. 



7. That there be adopted as standards for making the bacteria count the standard 

 methods of the American Public Health Association, laboratory section, recommending, 

 however, the following amendments: 



A. That the culture medium used for testing milk be identical in its composition 

 and reaction with the culture medium used for the testing of water provided in the 

 standard methods of water analyses of the American Public Health Association. 



B. That incubation of plate cultures be made at 37 C. for 48 hours. 



The bacterial standards given in the report are the work of a 

 special committee of bacteriologists who considered all of the bac- 

 terial standards now in use. It is believed that the standards 

 suggested are fair and wise and give full consideration to the 

 state of the industry and of public health control. The commission 

 believes that the adoption and enforcement of these bacterial 

 standards will be more effective than any other one thing in im- 

 proving the sanitary character of public milk supplies. The en- 

 forcement of these standards can be carried out only by the 

 regular and frequent laboratory examinations of milks for the 

 numbers of bacteria they may contain. 



Chemical Standards. 



The chemical standards suggested are the work of a special 

 committee, composed of chemists, which has carefully considered 

 the natural composition of milk and the Federal and State stand- 

 ards already established. The standard of 3.25 per cent fat and 

 8.5 per cent solids, not fat, here proposed is in accordance with 

 the recommendations of the Association of Official Agricultural 

 Chemists and has been adopted by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture and by a larger number of States than has any 

 other standard. The simplification of the Babcock test makes the 

 determination of fats and solids not fat an easy procedure quickly 

 applied. Such chemical examinations of milk can be readily 

 adopted and executed by any health-board laboratory at a very 

 moderate expense. It is believed that such chemical standards as 

 are suggested will inflict no real hardship on the milk producers 

 of this country and that the provision regarding substandard 

 milks is a liberal one. 



Microscopic Examination of Milk. 



Because of studies which have been made during the past year 

 the commission thinks it wise to omit temporarily any definite 

 statement on the subject of microscopical examination of milk, and 

 the determination of pus and bacteria by sedimentation methods, 

 until further studies have been made. A special subcommittee has 

 been appointed for this purpose which will make studies during 

 the present year and the commission will take action on this matter 

 at one of its later meetings. 



