28 JUNE 1957, Page 18

FOOD AND DRINK

SIR,—To say, as Mr. Tudor Edmonds said in his letter in your issue of June 14, that pasteurised milk is impure and to hint that it is not even fit to drink is absurd. Milk is a highly perishable commodity—it does not come out of the cow at a low temperature, but at one which is ideal for bacterial growth. With our large centres of population drawing milk often over great distances it is obviously impractical for this milk to be sent in churns or tankers without first being heat-treated in order to inhibit the growth of the 'souring' bacteria. The law provides that all milk sold must be as it comes from the cow—without addition or subtraction. Pasteurisation ensures that this milk reaches the distant consumer safe and