DAIRY INSPECTION 189 



should be covered with tin. Rusted areas are rough 

 and are not easily cleaned, and they sometimes give the 

 milk a "fishy" taste. Milk stored in rusted vessels will 

 acquire a bitter, astringent taste if it becomes very acid, 

 in consequence of the formation of iron lactate by the 

 combination of the lactic acid with the iron. The most 

 common location of rust is in the seams and joints, espe- 

 cially in the joint between the bottom and sides. All 

 seams should be filled flush and smooth with solder. 

 Seamless vessels are best. The use of galvanized iron 

 buckets for milk pails should not be permitted. 



Inquiry should be made in regard to the method 

 of cleaning the utensils and vessels, including bottles, 

 and the facilities provided for this purpose should be 

 noted. The utensils and vessels should be first rinsed 

 with cold or lukewarm water. If hot water is used first, 

 it will coagulate the albuminous substances in the milk 

 and cause them to stick to the inner surface of the vessels, 

 to the surface of the milk cooler, etc. After rinsing, they 

 should be washed in hot water containing washing soda 

 or soap powder and then rinsed again in hot water. The 

 brushes used in cleaning should be boiled for ten min- 

 utes each time after they are used; they should be of 

 good quality so that the bristles will not come out. The 

 last rinsing ought to be thorough, to insure the removal 

 of all the washing powder, otherwise the milk may have 

 a "fishy" taste. 



Unclean milk vessels and utensils are one of the most 

 prolific sources of bacteria in milk. Particles of milk 

 form an excellent culture media for bacterial growth, 

 while the water used to wash the apparatus, the milk 

 itself, and the air furnish the organisms necessary to 

 start the growth. The greater proportion of the organ- 



