17. Major MILLSasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that some distributors of milk collect milk at country depots at considerable distances from London and pasteurise it there; that they then transport it to London in bulk and pasteurise it again to nullify the effects of contamination and deterioration before bottling it for distribution; arid whether he is satisfied that this second pasteurisation is a desirable practice in the interests of the health of the consumers?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREMy right hon. Friend is advised that it is undesirable that milk should be heat-treated more than once, and he was not aware that this procedure is adopted at the present time. It is one of the conditions of the sale of 514 milk as "pasteurized" that the milk should not be heated more than once, and if my hon. and gallant Friend will supply any evidence of an infringement of this condition my right hon. Friend will bring it to the notice of the appropriate local authority.