114 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



measure, to remove the visible dirt which would inter- 

 fere with the sale of bottled milk. It has thus been 

 used to a greater or less extent to take out dirt that 

 should have been kept out. At the same time the 

 process has safety and decency values and is worthy of 

 favor when used in connection with proper supervision 

 of supplies and methods. Its exact status, however, 

 has not yet been settled, and present evidence does 

 not warrant the requirement of general clarification, 

 as has been proposed in some quarters. (For a summary 

 of advantages and disadvantages see 3d Report of the 

 National Commission on Milk Standards.) 



The scope of this volume does not permit mention 

 of the various processes of milk adjustment and manipu- 

 lation which are practiced in the industry or discus- 

 sion of how far these may be legitimate or the reverse. 

 A mechanical process which has come into some promi- 

 nence in recent years is that of homogenization of milk 

 or cream. 32 In this process the fat globules are forcibly 

 broken up so as to be in more intimate mixture with 

 the liquid. The process makes possible also the ad- 

 mixture of inferior fats. It is chiefly used in ice cream 

 manufacture, but has other uses, among them being the 

 production of an apparently greater richness in cream. 

 There is no objection to homogenization in itself, but 

 fraudulent practice is, of course, possible. The product 

 should be fully labelled. 



PUBLICITY OF RATINGS 



The desire to more than maintain merely a minimum 

 standard has led in many instances to the publication 

 of the ratings of milk supplies. (The town of Mont- 



