GRADING OF MILK 209 



Its pasteurization is required; and therefore, although 

 perhaps not so clean or fresh as Grade A milk, it is safe 

 to drink and generally contains fewer living bacteria than 

 Grade A raw. In many communities it is really preferable 

 to the latter, although it costs less. It is usually a good food 

 even for infants, provided some other article (for example, 

 orange juice) is included in the diet to make up for any 

 deficiency in the milk due to the heating. Grade C milk is 

 that of lower quality, which is sold for cooking purposes 

 but not for drinking. In many communities Grade C milk 

 is not sold; and thus the purchaser finds himself limited 

 to a choice between Grade A raw and Grade B pasteur- 

 ized milk. This grading system enables the purchaser to 

 know what he is buying, and has proved a great benefit to 

 the consumer as well as to the milk industry wherever it is 

 adopted. It is necessary, however, to learn whether the 

 grading is done by public officials or by the milkman. If 

 the milk producer or the dealer places the label " Grade A " 

 on his bottles, it means nothing ; if the grading is done by 

 official inspectors, it means much. We cannot rely upon a 

 Grade A label unless it is authorized by the public milk 

 inspector. 



Certified Milk. In most places in this country it is pos- 

 sible to buy what is called certified milk. The meaning of 

 the term is this: A small group of men, largely doctors, 

 constitute themselves a certif jdng board. Where any milk 

 dealer desires to use the label, this board carefully examines 

 the condition of the dairies from which the milk is pro- 

 duced, together with all methods of handhng the mUk, and 

 also makes frequent chemical and bacteriological analyses 

 of the milk. If the analysis of the milk and the conditions 



