asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will comment on the recent statement by a dairy inspector of his Department warning that 15 per cent of the milk being produced in the country is putrid and that 25 per cent of the milk produced failed consistently to pass the three-hour test; and if he will order an inquiry into the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Standards.
37.
At a meeting on 10th April of milk suppliers to a County Limerick creamery, an inspector from my Department spoke about the need for improvement of milk quality. Commenting on the results of the quality premium tests carried out at the creamery during 1971, he pointed out that 25 per cent of the total intake had failed to pass three of the four tests applied each month and that 15 per cent of the intake had failed to pass two such tests. These results approximated to those at most other creameries.
It would appear that some of the inspector's remarks at the meeting have been misquoted. The tests concerned do not relate to the acceptability of milk at creameries and the term "putrid" could not appropriately be applied to milk which had merely failed to pass the test involved.
Would the Minister be satisfied as to the quality of the milk and that there is no need for public alarm or disquiet?
Certainly, in relation to the information which was given by that particular inspector, he was referring to quality milk which would qualify for the special quality bonus or premium but the fact that milk might not pass the test to qualify for the quality bonus does not at all mean that it is unsuitable for acceptance or for use by the creamery.
So we have two standards of milk?
We have, of course.
We say what is good enough for the people and what qualifies for a bonus.
I do not know what the Deputy means by that.
The Minister said so.
I have not said any such thing.
The quality is not up to bonus standard but is up to human consumption standard. There is a big difference, of course.
There is, of course.
That is all I want to get in.
If one is trying to raise the standard of milk, one applies a bonus to better quality milk but the Deputy, of course, is implying that anything that does not qualify for the bonus is unfit for human consumption.
No, I am just saying——
That is the implication of what the Deputy is saying.
——that we are satisfied overall with a substandard quality of milk.
No. That is the implication of what the Deputy is saying. There is no question of the milk that does not qualify for the quality bonus not being suitable for human consumption. Of course, it is. A different standard altogether applies if it is to qualify for the quality bonus.
Could the Minister state when the quality overall of milk could reach the bonus standard?
I am afraid I could not tell the Deputy that.
We are certainly not getting quality milk.
Could I ask the Minister if it is the case that the standard for the quality bonus is that of butter fat content and that milk could have quite low butter fat content and still be very health-giving?
This is true.