A CRUSADE FOR CLEAN FOOD
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—While largely agreeing with the writer of the article in the Spectator entitled " A Crusade for Clean Food," may I express keen disappointment at his references to milk ? It is a pity the writer should not use correct terms : by " certifi- cated " milk one would suppose he meant " certified " milk. Should not such an article give credit where it is due and be a source of encouragement to those who have been the prime movers in obtaining the tremendous improvement of recent years in the milk supply ?
The article mentions " legislation," but this has really been a minor factor in the improvement. The inspiration of the improvement has in reality come from the workers at the National Institute for Research in Dairying, and I write to invite your writer to visit that Institute before he again tackles the milk question. While casting an unnecessary slur on " Grade A " milk, he does not seem to be aware that " Grade A Tuberculin Tested Milk " is an Attempt to get all the benefits of " Certified Milk " to the public at a price which they can pay.
The real danger is that the public should be taught that only " Certified " and Pasteurized milks are safe—the former (in large cities) is at an unnecessarily high price, and the latter tends to hand over all milk-producers to the tender mercies of the large combines, which, I imagine, your writer would not desire. Of course, the large combines wish the public to think so, and for that reason tend to discourage the pro- duction of Grade A (T.T.) Milk, which is a satisfactory via media and provides the public with a milk which is produced so clean that it does not need " centrifuging " to remove the dirt, nor pasteurizing to make it keep.
The most effective way to improve the milk supply is to secure better payment to the producers who guarantee a cleaner and safer supply—i.e., of guaranteed cleanliness— keeping the price within the limits of the general public's purse." Grade A (T.T.) milk is designed to do this.—I am, Sir, &c., SAMUEL R. WHITLEY. Rookwood, Shinfield, Reading.
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