124 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



Bacterial 

 Ci ty maximum Remarks 



Toledo, Ohio None 



Utica, N. Y None 



Washington, D. C None Dealer cautioned when high 



count 



Wheeling, W. Va 100,000 Counts published in news- 

 papers; claimed very ef- 

 fective 



Wilkes-Barre, Pa 100,000 



Wilmington, Del None 



Worcester, Mass 500,000 



Yonkers, N. Y None 



Youngstown, Ohio 500,000 Rejects for pathogenic bac- 

 teria 



The classification of milk as recommended by the confer- 

 ence appointed by the Commissioners of the District of Colum- 

 bia to report on the milk supply of Washington, provided for 

 three classes of milk : 



Class 1. Certified milk. 



Class 2. Inspected milk. 



Class 3. Pasteurized milk. 



For the first two classes a maximum bacterial count was 

 adopted, but it was only a part of and was supplementary to 

 other requirements making such standards possible of attain- 

 ment. 



So while a bacterial standard was recommended for the city 

 of Washington, it was after all only secondary to other re- 

 quirements and was possible of enforcement only on compli- 

 ance with those requirements, including the important ones of 

 inspection of the cow and of persons handling the milk. 



In my opinion it was a mistake not to recommend also a 

 maximum bacterial count for pasteurized milk. A bacterial 

 count of pasteurized milk is of greater value in the control of 

 this class of milk than is a count of either of the other two 

 classes and it is the only way in which we can gauge the ef- 

 ficiency of the pasteurization and the conditions under which 

 the milk has been kept subsequent to pasteurization. In the 

 control of this class of milk we have the only instance in which 

 the bacterial standard is of greater value and importance than 

 inspection. A maximum count of bacteria for pasteurized 

 milk should be established as definitely and enforced as strictly 

 as is the time and temperature of the heating, for it is the only 

 index of the efficiency of the process. 



