Page:The story of milk.djvu/64

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be insisted upon, and milk which nevertheless contains a large number of bacteria can be made safe by pasteurization.


The Sanitary Code.—The regulation of the production and delivery of milk in cities and towns as well as at creameries and cheese factories, the "Sanitary Code" established by state and municipal health authorities, has been very effective in improving the quality of the supply. So enormous have been the improvements in caring for and handling the products by the large establishments engaged in the delivery of milk as to make the increase in cost seem trifling compared with the great benefit to the public health secured by these agencies.


New York State Milk Grading.—The New York State Board of Health prescribes a grading for milk offered for sale, the most important features of which are as follows:

Certified.—Must be produced under specially sanitary conditions approved by a county medical commission.

Grade A Raw.—Cows must be tuberculin tested and milk must not contain over 60,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter.

Grade A Pasteurized.—Cows must be subjected to physical examination and milk must not contain more than 200,000 bacteria before, nor more than 30,000 after pasteurization.

Other grades permitted under the rules, all subject to inspection and approval of the authorities, are:

Grade B Raw.
Grade B Pasteurized.
Grade C Raw.
Grade C Pasteurized.