How TO pRoiHcE Clean Milk. 



17 



HOW TO PRODUCE CLEAN MILK. 



J. Mackintosh, O.B.E., N.D.A., 



^'dl '^onal Institute for Research in Dairying, Universitj Colleyey 



Reading. 



' The production and handling of milk on the farm consists of 

 a long chain of operations which differ materially in nature and 

 in the conditions under which they are carried out. Milk pro- 

 duction may be said to begin with the selection of the cows, and 

 handhng. in so far as the average farmer is concerned, to end 

 with the delivery of the churn of milk at the railway platform or 

 the wholesalers' or retailers' premises. 



Attention to detail at all stages in the chain is desirable, but 

 it must be helpful to those engaged in the work to know the 

 relaticc importance of the different operations. It cannot yet be 

 said that all stages in this chain have been sufficiently inves- 

 tigated, but it is nevertheless possible to summarise the conclu- 

 sions arrived at by different w^orkers ; fortunately, these con- 

 clusions are more or less in complete agreement as to the factors 

 which are of prime importance in the production of clean milk. 

 These factors are as follows : — 



(a) The animals producing the milk, and the workers at all 

 stages, should be in good health and free from any 

 disease W'hich may be carried by milk. 



(h) The utensils used should be thoroughly cleaned and 

 sterilised. 



(c) The cows, and particularly their udders and teats, should 



be thoroughly cleansed before milking. 



(d) The milking pail should have a small opening, thus lessen- 

 ing the space whereby dust and dirt may fall into the 

 milk. 



(c) The milk should be cooled soon after milking to a tem- 

 perature of 50° F. or lower, and maintained at a low 

 temperature afterwards. 

 The steps which may be taken by farmers to bring these 

 factors, and particularly the last four, into active operation on 

 their own farms will now be considered in detail. 



Health of the Cows and of Workers in Cowshed and Dairy. — 



The importance of guarding against milk conveying infection 

 either from the cows or from the dairy workers has been realised 

 for many years, and the subject has been dealt with in several 

 Acts of Parliament and Orders made under certain Acts. 



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