Some Effects of the Proposed New Bacteriological Techniques

Abstract

Summary In Table 6 is shown the fact that in this work a considerable number of the samples tested were sufficiently higher in count with tryptone agar to bring them into the class of illegal milk in Massachusetts. The same also applies to 32° C. incubation. It is conceivable that should such increases in count actually occur as a result of the proposed new methods, serious losses in milk consumption might result due to lack of public confidence in the quality of dairy products. It is important to observe that if these proposed methods be adopted, there is no assurance other methods for obtaining higher counts shall not be proposed at a later date. With such increases in counts as produced by changes in method, public and private bacteriological records might be confused for years. It has been suggested that health departments might change their bacteriological standards to meet these proposed changes in technique. The writer is skeptical as to the probability of many health departments actually doing this, and if changes in standards were accomplished, it seems that these changes would lack uniformity. Unless such proposed new methods can be shown without question to have a bearing on the health of the consumer, their adoption should proceed with the highest degree of caution.