Only Two Grades Necessary
Clean milk may, in certain circumstances, be more dangerous than milk produced under less hygienic conditions is one of the conclusions reached by Mr. G. S. Wilson in a report issued by the Privy Council and published by the Stationery Office.
" Provided the cow is healthy," the report states, " and providing that none of the human beings handling the milk is a carrier of pathogenic bacteria and providing that the water supply is pure, dirt and bacteria may gain access to the milk in considerable quantities without endangering the health of those consuming it.
" On the other hand, if pathogenic bacteria find their way into the milk from one of the sources quoted, no matter in how clean a matfner milk is produced, it is potentially dangerous and unsafe milk.
Safety In Numbers "The reason is probably two-fold. More human beings as a rule come into contact with a milk that is produced under very clean conditions, particularly if it is bottled on the farm, than with one produced by rough and ready measures.
" In consequence, the chances of contamination from human cases or carriers of disease are increased.
" In the second place if pathogenic bacteria gain access to very clean milk they are probably in a more favourable position to give rise to disease than if they are present in a dirty milk in which they are rapidly outgrown by the common bacteria.
"From the public point of view, probably only two divisions need be made on the basis of cleanliness, namely, into (a) milk that is suitable and (b) milk that is not suitable for human consumption in the liquid state."