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STATUS OF PASTEURIZATION OF MILK. “5 
To do this, bacteriologically clean coolers, bottle fillers, bottles, 
and sterilized caps are necessary; and what is of greatest importance 
is to see that the pasteurized milk does not come in contact with 
human hands, or with apparatus, including bottles and caps, touched 
by the hands after being sterilized. The hands of milk handlers 
constitute perhaps the most dangerous source of reinfection in the 
plant, for they may convey pathogenic organisms. Through such 
channel milk may be contaminated by carriers of many diseases. 
In order to guard against such possibilities, all employees who 
handle apparatus or milk in the plant or during delivery should 
undergo frequent medical examination, and any diseased persons 
or carriers should be prevented from working in positions in which 
they have even indirect contact with milk, milk equipment, or deliv- 
ery of the product. 
It is perhaps unnecessary to say that flies are also a very serious 
menace to the milk supply. They must be kept out of milk plants, 
for it is impossible to tell when they may infect the milk. This in- 
fection can occur directly by flies getting into the milk or indirectly 
through contamination of equipment or containers. 
At every step in the pasteurization of milk, one is compelled to 
think of the process in terms of bacteria in order to supervise it 
intelligently. 
HANDLING MILK AFTER PASTEURIZATION. 
Pasteurization of milk destroys about 99 per cent of the bacteria; 
consequently the milk is not sterile. On account of this fact, pas- 
teurized milk is still a perishable product, and must be handled 
with the same care as raw milk. This is a point for both the con- 
sumer and the milkman to remember. 
Milk after pasteurization should be cooled to about 40° F. and 
kept at that temperature until delivery. During warm weather it 
should be iced on the delivery wagons. From a sanitary standpoint 
all milk, whether raw or pasteurized, should be delivered as soon as 
possible, in order that the consumer may get it in the best condition. 
In the best pasteurized milk, when held at about 40° F., there is only 
a slight bacterial increase during the first 24 hours. In many cases 
the pasteurization and delivery may be so arranged that the con- 
sumer gets the milk before much, if any, change has taken place in 
the bacterial content. For the benefit of the consumer the word 
“ Pasteurized ” should be printed on the cap, as it is only right for 
him to know whether he is using raw or pasteurized milk. Some people 
object to pasteurized milk, especially for infant feeding, while others 
desire it. It has been the experience of numerous milk dealers that 
the labeling of their product has greatly increased their trade. 
