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, ete. 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- 
