MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS


Reasonable and intelligent standardization of milk would be of immense value to the producer of milk and a protection to the consumer, Mr. Jarnigin declared. “But the medical profession is not competent to produce such a standard,” he said, “almost all of the milk ordinances of Georgia have been drawn by medical men. The ordinances were not satisfactory.


RESEARCH BUREAU.

Grand Rapids, Mich. Opinions of two United States Senators, a Congressman and various State officials, dealing with what were said to be serious problems involving the production, distribution and consumption of milk and its derivatives, made public today by the Milk and Milk Products REsearch Bureau of Grand Rapids, Mich., show, it was said, that in many states (and in Canada) need for closer sanitary supervision was imperative, violations of laws pertaining to milk had become considerable as to number, and the milk industry almost as a whole required standardization or betterment as to product and as to method of delivery and sale.

“The food value of milk is not and never has been properly appreciated in this country,” said United States Senator Arthur Capper, of Kansas, member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, chairman of the Senate agricultural block. “If it were appreciated there would be an enormous increase in consumption. Probably the main thing lacking has been a central organization. Such an organization should work for a stronger and better nourished people. There is great need for just that kind of work. It would be of the greatest importance to agriculture”.

In a broad sense United States Senator Woodbridge N. Ferris, of Michigan, member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, favored standardization of milk. Increase in the use of milk is closely related to the health of the nation, in the belief of Congressman Ketcham, of the House Committee on Agriculture.

Establishment of a national standard of milk, say 3.50 butterfat with a corresponding percentage of solids not fat, a bacterial count, and sanitary regulations governing dairies and manufacturing (milk) plants, were favored by F.W. Stephen, of Ottawa, Canada, secretary-treasurer and acting president of the National Dairy Council of Canada. LAck of co-operation between producer and distributor was deplored by Mr. Stephen.

That a more intensive sanitary examination of milk was necessary was indicated by DR. S. Boucher, director Montreal Department of Health, who recently combatted an epidemic of typhoid carried by milk in that city, and by the chief health inspector of Toronto. “The typhoid fever epidemic, at present waning,” reported Dr. Boucher, “was the severest in the history of that disease transmitted by milk.” There we 2500 cases of typhoid in Montreal in the spring of 1927. Similar epidemics due to infected milk afflicted that city in 1922 and 1924. Quebec. Vineland, Hanover, Winnipeg and Regina reported like instances during the last seven years. Scarlet fever, diphtheria and other ailments were also traced to impure milk.

Persistent efforts of inspectors of the Dairy and Food Department of Minnesota are gradually improving milk brought to market, according to N.J. Holmberg, commissioner of agriculture, ST. Paul. “Inspectors of this department make annually thousands of sediment tests,” he said. “when the test shows the dirty milk is sold the producer is requested to make the necessary improvement. Court action follows disregard of such notice”.

More than thirty towns in Texas have adopted the FEderal standard milk ordinance, Dr. J.C. Anderson, State health officer, Austin, reported. “The problems confronting producers in Virginia,” side F.A. Buchanan, State dairy husband man, Blacksburg, “are chiefly those of economic production, the growth of more homegrown feeds and the milking of a better type of dairy cow; those of the distributors are chiefly those of centralizing distribution in the consuming centers and developing an increase in the use of milk and its products through educational work.

Development of fluid milk markets in the large consuming centers during the last ten years has created practically a twelve-month surplus. The production of butter in Virginia has trebled during the last seven years or at the rate of 25 per cent. annually”.

It will take a long time for the farmers of Georgia to realize that dairying is a profitable industry, opined Henry F. Branham, State dairy inspector, Atlanta. “Necessity has driven many incompetent persons into dairying. In that way the industry in Georgia has been hurt. But that kind of person is gradually being eliminated. The quality of production has thus been bettered. Five years ago not a pound of commercial or creamery butter was made in Georgia. Now there are too many creameries. The most important question between the producer and the distributor of milk in Georgia is the desire of the latter to make more than his lawful share of profit.

LAck of co-operation hinders the producers.” Attempts to enact legislation to prohibit the marketing of recombined milk in Georgia have failed, said Mr. Branham. Adequate supply of home-grown feeds is the most serious situation facing the dairymen of southeastern United States, is the opinion of Milton P. Jarnigin, State animal husband man, professor in the State College of Agriculture, Athens., “In many instances dairymen depend almost wholly on purchased feeds,” he said. “As a result the cost of production is high.”

Reasonable and intelligent standardization of milk would be of immense value to the producer of milk and a protection to the consumer, Mr. Jarnigin declared. “But the medical profession is not competent to produce such a standard,” he said, “almost all of the milk ordinances of Georgia have been drawn by medical men. The ordinances were not satisfactory. Views of the dairyman scientifically trained and those of the veterinarian should be given great weight in any movement toward national standardization of milk”.

Because the Legislature of 1923 did not authorize any department of the State of West Virginia to enforce the milk standard law adopted in that year there have been no reports to John W. Smith, commissioner of agriculture, Charleston. The State law as to milk does not establish a bacterial count, but many of the ordinances in WEst Virginia towns do so. Economy of production is the greatest problem encountered by the dairy industry in Maine, according to its Department of Animal Industry. “Better bulls” is one of the principal slogans of the States extension service.

Eradication of tuberculosis in dairy herds is the paramount issue in relation to the dairy industry of Massachusetts as outlined by Willard A. Munson, director co-operative extension work, agriculture and home economics, Amherst. “Milk consumers, boards of health and cattle owners are united,” said he, “in their demand the obliteration of that disease be effected as rapidly as possible.” As for the dairy farmer, his problem is to maintain enough cattle to supply the market demand for milk at the price it is willing to pay.

“There is extreme competition,” Mr. Munson averred, “among milk marketing agencies for supremacy in the market, selling milk below its market value to promote the sale of other commodities. This has a tendency to depress the sale of other commodities. This has a tendency to depress the price of milk through all agencies. At present milk is far below the price determined by supply and demand”.

Price (of raw milk) too is a problem which worries producers and distributors of Nevada, according to S.C. Dinsmore, STate food and drug commissioner, Reno. “The best means for increasing the sale of milk,” he asserted, “is by intensive advertising, bringing before the people the importance of milk in the diet and the food value it possesses”.

Data submitted to the Milk and Milk Products Research Bureau by James W. Kellogg, director-chief chemist, State Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pa., revealed than in 1924 the percentage of violations of milk laws was 12.7 of 2595 samples of milk analyzed; in 1925 the ratio was 8.9 of 3782 analyses and in 1926 5.3 per cent. of 2546 tests.

Due to the infancy of the dairy industry in North Dakota no official research as to milk and its products have been established, John Husby, dairy commissioner, Bismarck, reported. The chief phase of the industry is the production of butterfat, according to C.F. Monroe, director of extension,

North Dakota Agricultural College, Fargo. Regarding a nationalized standard of milk, Mr. Monroe declared that “the standardization of regulations in the various cities or milk-consuming centers would tend to stabilize the entire production of milk” and raise its volume of sales. “educational campaigns showing the importance of milk in the diet coupled with the assurance that milk for popular consumption is produced under sanitary conditions would be of immense value to the industry as a whole,” he maintained.

In New Mexico the “big trouble,” according to E.E. Anderson, poultry-dairy specialist, State College, is to diminish the supply of milk. “I believe it would be a good thing to establish a national standard for milk in regard to its butterfat content,” he said. “Our women workers are stressing the value of milk in the diet. We feel certain this is increasing the use of milk and its products.” Mothers of newly born babes receive from the STate instructions as to the use of cows milk for their infants, said Dr. G.S. Luckett, director, STate Bureau of Public Health, Santa Fe. The first dairy commissioner of New Mexico is to be appointed soon in accordance with the law enacted by the latest Legislature.

Victor Elvine