- Email: [email protected]
Laboratory Training Program of the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center in Milk and Food Sanitation
Laboratory Training Program of the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center in Milk and Food Sanitation ROBERT P.
~IYERS
Adra~ced Sanitatio.n Traipsing Section, U. S. Pz~blie Health Service, Cincinnati~ Ohio Technical training courses in environmental sanitation and radioh)gical health, designed primarily for professional personnel from state and local health departments, but including representatives from industry with similar responsibilities, have been conducted by the Publie Health Service in Cincinnati for several years. Duration of the courses varies from a few days to 2 weeks with corresponding variation in the breadth of the subject matter covered. Time is allotted to lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and laboratory practice, with emphasis on the "learn by doing" method in the laboratory (5). As a result ef the surveys of nfilk laboratories in the War Areas of the U. S. made by DR. L. A. BLACK starting in 1941 (2), it became apparent that special training was needed if uniform laboratory results were to be obtained in the numerous laboratories concerned with control of the sanitary quality of milk. A few states had already established training programs for their laboratory personnel, and others started programs to standardize procedures in milk control laboratories. After World War I I a number of state health department laboratory directors expressed their interest in training courses for their laboratory personnel. Accordingly, the Milk and Food Laboratory of the Public Health Service in Cincinnati conducted a 2-week training course for bacteriologists in charge of milk analyses or food utensil examinations. Representatives from 14 states attended this course. The course was repeated each year until 1952, at which time a / - w e e k course in bacteriological examination of milk and dairy products and a 1-week course in food sanitation were conducted consecutively. These two courses were preceded TABLE I A t t e n d a n c e at labor~tory t r a i n i n g eoltrses in milk other ]oods held in Cinrinn(tti 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 No. of trainees t4 No. of s t a t e s represented 14
1953 1954
16
10
8
29
30
30
14
8
6
14
14
13
by a course in the bacteriological examination of water. I n Table 1 a brief summary of the nmnber of trainees who have attended the milk and food courses in Cincinnati is presented. I n addition to the 33 states represented, the total of 137 trainees includes representatives from within tile Public Health Service, from U. S. Military Services, from Puerto Rico, and from ~hree foreign countries.
Food Sanitation Courses
I n the food sanitation courses conducted by the Sanitary Engineering Center in Cincinnati the need is emphasized for more laboratory examination of foods as they are served in public eating establishments. Laboratory methods for investigating food-borne disease outbreaks sre studied in these courses. Fronl knowledge obtained in investigations of the causes of food poisoning outbreaks, it is possible to establish corrective sanitary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Periodic laboratory exmninations of foods serve as one means of determining compliance with the sanitation program set-up. This preventive sanitary control, in which periodic laboratory examinations constitute one of the important elements of sanitation control, has been successfully applied in the handling of milk. Therefore, it is reasoned that better bacteriological control of the sanitary quality of other foods, the training of food service personnel, and the control of eating and drinking' utensil sanitation constitute an improved approach in solving the problem of food poisoning and food-borne disease. The objective of the food sanitation courses is to train laboratory personnel in the techniques which can be nlost helpful in sanitary food control programs. Although the problem of food sanitation is an~ more complicated than that of nfilk sanitation, and more research is badly needed, many of Tot~| the principles of sanitary control of milk quality that have proven effective might well he 137 applied in improving the sanitary quality of other foods. I n the research laboratories of the 33 Sanitary Engineering Center, bacteriological~ 1483
1484
JOURNAL
OF D A 1 R Y S C I E N C E
chemical and biological methods of testing foods are being studied. As the findings of these and other research laboratories engaged in food sanitation research become available, the results are passed on to the participants in food sanitation training courses at the Center. Laboratory practice in the new chemical, biological, and bacteriological techniques is supplemented with lectures and group discussions.
Milk Laboratory Training Courses The program of training in the bacteriological examination of milk and dairy products includes laboratory practice in the procedures employed by state, municipal, local, and industrial laboratories engaged in controlling ~he sanitary quality of milk. Such procedures as sampling, agar plate counts, direct microscopic counts, coliform counts, examination of equipment and containers, and the detection of special groups of bacteria, such as thermodurics and psychrophiles, are covered in the course. Phosphatase tests on pasteurized milk and dairy products are included in this course since the personnel responsible for performing the bacteriological examination are frequently called on to make phosphatase tests. Selection of procedures outlined in Standard Methods, their application in controlling the sanitary quality of milk, the theory underlying these tests, and the interpretation of results receive emphasis. Approximately half of the time is allotted to lectures and informal discussions on these phases and the other half devoted to laboratory practice. Comparative counts on split samples have proven helpful in demonstrating the need for adhering to standardized procedures, if there is to be agreement between individuals and between laboratories. Deviations from Standard Methods occur: (a) because workers simply fail to read carefully the prescribed method; (b) because individuals interpret directions differently; (c) because workers feel they have a procedure that is better than the prescribed method; or (d) because a method is difficult to apply and in need of further development. These training courses encourage workers to discuss nmtual problems concerned with analytical procedures and interpretation of results. Frequently defective techniques and deviations of which the analyst was previously unaware come to light. Assurance that all analysts are following the same procedures establishes confidence between workers and between laboratories and is vital to the success of the National Interstate Milk Shipment Program.
National Program for the Certification of Interstate Milk Shippers At the First National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments in 1950 (3) the role of the Public Health Service was outlined as follows: "The state regulatory authorities should
carry the work load involved in the interstate milk program, with the assistance of the U. S. Public Health Service. The latter shall be prepared to extend to state regulatory authorities and educational institutions such assistance in the training of field representatives of the state and local governmental units or of industry, field, and plant personnel, and state survey officers as the respective state may require in operating the interstate milk shipment plan. The Public Health Service should also train or assist in training laboratory personnel of state, local, or industrial laboratories as requested by state authorities." The responsibility for the training of laboratory personnel was assigned to ~he Sanitary Engineering Center, and the Training Section, within the limitations of its budget, has rendered assistance to the states requesting it, in planning and conducting training courses for milk laboratory technicians. I n the fall of 1950, the Missouri Division of Health held a workshop for milk analysts in Columbia, Mo. (1). This was the first of a series of cooperative courses held by state agencies in compliance with the recommendation of the National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments and was a cooperative undertaking between ~he University of Missouri, Missouri Division of Health, and the Public Health Service. Both receiving states and shipping states have conducted sinfilar cooperative short courses during the past 4 years. These states are: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. I n Table 2 a summary of the Milk Laboratory Workshops that have been conducted in the states listed above is presented. Approximately half of the participants in these courses are from industry or private commercial laboratories. TAI~LE 2 M i l k Ic~borot~Jry w o r k s h o p s ec, mtuetell by st¢~tes in cooper¢ltion ,cith the P a b l h ' Heedth ,qerriee
No. of s t a t e courses No. of trainees
2953
First half 1954 Total
1950
1951
1952
1
4
2
4
3
14
11
63
46
112
56
288
The courses conducted by different states have varied in duration and course content but, for the most part, have been 5-day courses with something over half the time being devoted to laboratory practice, with demonstrations, lectures, and group discussions completing the schedule. Agar plate count, direct microscopic count, coliform count, phosphatase methods, and tests for sanitization of equipment have been included in all courses, with the major emphasis being devoted to improving the performance of the agar plate method, i n some of the courses the dye reduction tests, techniques for detecting and enumerating thermoduric and
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY
psychrophilic bacteria, and methods for the detection of inhibitory substances in milk have been included. Considerable emphasis is placed on comparative tests on split samples as a means of evaluating performance. Items of technique are discussed in light o f experience as to the influence of certain deviations from Standard Methods on the final results. Representatives of regulatory agencies and milk industry laboratories work together toward the basic objective of nfilk quality control, which is to provide wholesome, safe milk and dairy products for sale to the consumer.
Uniform State Laboratory Control Program I n order to insure uniform laboratory control each state, according to the Interstate Milk Shipment Prograni, is responsible for checking the laboratories within its boundaries which are designated to examine milk for interstate shipment. The state agency responsible for approving these laboratories certifies, after appropriate surveys and comparative tests on split sa~lples, that the approved laboratories comply with the provisions of the A.P.H.A. Standard Method.~ for the Examinatio~ of Milt~ and Dairy Prodt~cts. This constitutes what is usually referred to as "State Certification of Milk Laboratories." As part of the Program for Certification of Milk Supplies, outlined in the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, certification of the laboratories examining milk in connection with the supervision of interstate milk shippers is an important element. Only the
1485
interstate shippers having a satisfactory conlpliance rating and whose supplies are exaniined by a laboratory approved by the state meet the requirements for listing by the Public Health Service (4). The training program is an effective means of preparing the laboratory personnel for meeting the requirements for certification just as training state rating officials has been an aid in securing uniformity in sanitation compliance ratings. The objective, then, of these workshops for milk laboratory technicians is to stress compliance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Milk and Dairy Products. Performance of the individual workers is measured by the results obtained on split samples which are submitted to the control laboratories twice a year. P~EFERENCES (1) ADA.~S, IRmA C. Missouri's Plan for Milk Analyists in the State and Laboratory Certification. J. MilI~ Food Technol., 14: 65, 84. 1951. (2) BLACK, L. A. Surveys of Milk Laboratories in War Areas in the United States. Public Health Reports 58: No. 44, 45, and 46. 1943.. (3) EDITOI~IAL. National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments. J. Milk Food Technot. 13: 194. 1950. (4) ROWnAND,J. L. National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments. June 9-10, 1953. J. Milk Food Technol. 15: 232. (5) U. S. DEPARTMENT O~' HIJA_LTIt, EDUCATION,
AND WELFARE. Training Frograms~ July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1955. (Available from Officer in Charge, Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati 26, Ohio.)
The Bulk Milk Handling and Pipe Line Milking on the Farm A d o p t i o n of S y s t e m W i l l Lead to G r e a t e r Efficiency H. E. CALBERT Department Dairy and Food Industries~ Uni~,ersit!! of Wisconsi~ A number of veers ago when the laro'e dairy operations on tile west coast turned to bulk milk handling and pipe line milking, it was not surprising. This was a natural development in the methods used there for the mass production and handling of large volumes of milk. However, the acceptance of bulk milk handling and pipe line milking by the average dairyman in other part~ of the country, particularly the Midwest, tins been ~nost unexpected. Wisconsin may serve as a good example of an area where this change is taking place in the dairy industry. This innovation has been referred to by many milk producers as the greatest development since the milking machine. I n the early part of 1951 there was only one bulk milk pick-up route in the entire state of
Wisconsin. This had approximately a dozen patrons and was being operated on a semiexperimental basis. The ndlk producers were typical dairymen for this aTea, the smallest having a herd of approximately 15 cows; the largest, about 50 cows. None of these producers were using pipe line milking. With the exception of' the experimental work being conducted by the University there were very few pipe line milking installations in the state. The few that were in use were primarily for "show" purposes and not in use on the typical dairy farm. t n the brief span of 3 years, the system of bulk milk handling and pipe line milking has received widespread acceptance by Wisconsin dairy farmers. At the present time there are
~IYERS
Adra~ced Sanitatio.n Traipsing Section, U. S. Pz~blie Health Service, Cincinnati~ Ohio Technical training courses in environmental sanitation and radioh)gical health, designed primarily for professional personnel from state and local health departments, but including representatives from industry with similar responsibilities, have been conducted by the Publie Health Service in Cincinnati for several years. Duration of the courses varies from a few days to 2 weeks with corresponding variation in the breadth of the subject matter covered. Time is allotted to lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and laboratory practice, with emphasis on the "learn by doing" method in the laboratory (5). As a result ef the surveys of nfilk laboratories in the War Areas of the U. S. made by DR. L. A. BLACK starting in 1941 (2), it became apparent that special training was needed if uniform laboratory results were to be obtained in the numerous laboratories concerned with control of the sanitary quality of milk. A few states had already established training programs for their laboratory personnel, and others started programs to standardize procedures in milk control laboratories. After World War I I a number of state health department laboratory directors expressed their interest in training courses for their laboratory personnel. Accordingly, the Milk and Food Laboratory of the Public Health Service in Cincinnati conducted a 2-week training course for bacteriologists in charge of milk analyses or food utensil examinations. Representatives from 14 states attended this course. The course was repeated each year until 1952, at which time a / - w e e k course in bacteriological examination of milk and dairy products and a 1-week course in food sanitation were conducted consecutively. These two courses were preceded TABLE I A t t e n d a n c e at labor~tory t r a i n i n g eoltrses in milk other ]oods held in Cinrinn(tti 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 No. of trainees t4 No. of s t a t e s represented 14
1953 1954
16
10
8
29
30
30
14
8
6
14
14
13
by a course in the bacteriological examination of water. I n Table 1 a brief summary of the nmnber of trainees who have attended the milk and food courses in Cincinnati is presented. I n addition to the 33 states represented, the total of 137 trainees includes representatives from within tile Public Health Service, from U. S. Military Services, from Puerto Rico, and from ~hree foreign countries.
Food Sanitation Courses
I n the food sanitation courses conducted by the Sanitary Engineering Center in Cincinnati the need is emphasized for more laboratory examination of foods as they are served in public eating establishments. Laboratory methods for investigating food-borne disease outbreaks sre studied in these courses. Fronl knowledge obtained in investigations of the causes of food poisoning outbreaks, it is possible to establish corrective sanitary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Periodic laboratory exmninations of foods serve as one means of determining compliance with the sanitation program set-up. This preventive sanitary control, in which periodic laboratory examinations constitute one of the important elements of sanitation control, has been successfully applied in the handling of milk. Therefore, it is reasoned that better bacteriological control of the sanitary quality of other foods, the training of food service personnel, and the control of eating and drinking' utensil sanitation constitute an improved approach in solving the problem of food poisoning and food-borne disease. The objective of the food sanitation courses is to train laboratory personnel in the techniques which can be nlost helpful in sanitary food control programs. Although the problem of food sanitation is an~ more complicated than that of nfilk sanitation, and more research is badly needed, many of Tot~| the principles of sanitary control of milk quality that have proven effective might well he 137 applied in improving the sanitary quality of other foods. I n the research laboratories of the 33 Sanitary Engineering Center, bacteriological~ 1483
1484
JOURNAL
OF D A 1 R Y S C I E N C E
chemical and biological methods of testing foods are being studied. As the findings of these and other research laboratories engaged in food sanitation research become available, the results are passed on to the participants in food sanitation training courses at the Center. Laboratory practice in the new chemical, biological, and bacteriological techniques is supplemented with lectures and group discussions.
Milk Laboratory Training Courses The program of training in the bacteriological examination of milk and dairy products includes laboratory practice in the procedures employed by state, municipal, local, and industrial laboratories engaged in controlling ~he sanitary quality of milk. Such procedures as sampling, agar plate counts, direct microscopic counts, coliform counts, examination of equipment and containers, and the detection of special groups of bacteria, such as thermodurics and psychrophiles, are covered in the course. Phosphatase tests on pasteurized milk and dairy products are included in this course since the personnel responsible for performing the bacteriological examination are frequently called on to make phosphatase tests. Selection of procedures outlined in Standard Methods, their application in controlling the sanitary quality of milk, the theory underlying these tests, and the interpretation of results receive emphasis. Approximately half of the time is allotted to lectures and informal discussions on these phases and the other half devoted to laboratory practice. Comparative counts on split samples have proven helpful in demonstrating the need for adhering to standardized procedures, if there is to be agreement between individuals and between laboratories. Deviations from Standard Methods occur: (a) because workers simply fail to read carefully the prescribed method; (b) because individuals interpret directions differently; (c) because workers feel they have a procedure that is better than the prescribed method; or (d) because a method is difficult to apply and in need of further development. These training courses encourage workers to discuss nmtual problems concerned with analytical procedures and interpretation of results. Frequently defective techniques and deviations of which the analyst was previously unaware come to light. Assurance that all analysts are following the same procedures establishes confidence between workers and between laboratories and is vital to the success of the National Interstate Milk Shipment Program.
National Program for the Certification of Interstate Milk Shippers At the First National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments in 1950 (3) the role of the Public Health Service was outlined as follows: "The state regulatory authorities should
carry the work load involved in the interstate milk program, with the assistance of the U. S. Public Health Service. The latter shall be prepared to extend to state regulatory authorities and educational institutions such assistance in the training of field representatives of the state and local governmental units or of industry, field, and plant personnel, and state survey officers as the respective state may require in operating the interstate milk shipment plan. The Public Health Service should also train or assist in training laboratory personnel of state, local, or industrial laboratories as requested by state authorities." The responsibility for the training of laboratory personnel was assigned to ~he Sanitary Engineering Center, and the Training Section, within the limitations of its budget, has rendered assistance to the states requesting it, in planning and conducting training courses for milk laboratory technicians. I n the fall of 1950, the Missouri Division of Health held a workshop for milk analysts in Columbia, Mo. (1). This was the first of a series of cooperative courses held by state agencies in compliance with the recommendation of the National Conference for Interstate Milk Shipments and was a cooperative undertaking between ~he University of Missouri, Missouri Division of Health, and the Public Health Service. Both receiving states and shipping states have conducted sinfilar cooperative short courses during the past 4 years. These states are: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. I n Table 2 a summary of the Milk Laboratory Workshops that have been conducted in the states listed above is presented. Approximately half of the participants in these courses are from industry or private commercial laboratories. TAI~LE 2 M i l k Ic~borot~Jry w o r k s h o p s ec, mtuetell by st¢~tes in cooper¢ltion ,cith the P a b l h ' Heedth ,qerriee
No. of s t a t e courses No. of trainees
2953
First half 1954 Total
1950
1951
1952
1
4
2
4
3
14
11
63
46
112
56
288
The courses conducted by different states have varied in duration and course content but, for the most part, have been 5-day courses with something over half the time being devoted to laboratory practice, with demonstrations, lectures, and group discussions completing the schedule. Agar plate count, direct microscopic count, coliform count, phosphatase methods, and tests for sanitization of equipment have been included in all courses, with the major emphasis being devoted to improving the performance of the agar plate method, i n some of the courses the dye reduction tests, techniques for detecting and enumerating thermoduric and
OUR INDUSTRY TODAY
psychrophilic bacteria, and methods for the detection of inhibitory substances in milk have been included. Considerable emphasis is placed on comparative tests on split samples as a means of evaluating performance. Items of technique are discussed in light o f experience as to the influence of certain deviations from Standard Methods on the final results. Representatives of regulatory agencies and milk industry laboratories work together toward the basic objective of nfilk quality control, which is to provide wholesome, safe milk and dairy products for sale to the consumer.
Uniform State Laboratory Control Program I n order to insure uniform laboratory control each state, according to the Interstate Milk Shipment Prograni, is responsible for checking the laboratories within its boundaries which are designated to examine milk for interstate shipment. The state agency responsible for approving these laboratories certifies, after appropriate surveys and comparative tests on split sa~lples, that the approved laboratories comply with the provisions of the A.P.H.A. Standard Method.~ for the Examinatio~ of Milt~ and Dairy Prodt~cts. This constitutes what is usually referred to as "State Certification of Milk Laboratories." As part of the Program for Certification of Milk Supplies, outlined in the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, certification of the laboratories examining milk in connection with the supervision of interstate milk shippers is an important element. Only the
1485
interstate shippers having a satisfactory conlpliance rating and whose supplies are exaniined by a laboratory approved by the state meet the requirements for listing by the Public Health Service (4). The training program is an effective means of preparing the laboratory personnel for meeting the requirements for certification just as training state rating officials has been an aid in securing uniformity in sanitation compliance ratings. The objective, then, of these workshops for milk laboratory technicians is to stress compliance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Milk and Dairy Products. Performance of the individual workers is measured by the results obtained on split samples which are submitted to the control laboratories twice a year. P~EFERENCES (1) ADA.~S, IRmA C. Missouri's Plan for Milk Analyists in the State and Laboratory Certification. J. MilI~ Food Technol., 14: 65, 84. 1951. (2) BLACK, L. A. Surveys of Milk Laboratories in War Areas in the United States. Public Health Reports 58: No. 44, 45, and 46. 1943.. (3) EDITOI~IAL. National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments. J. Milk Food Technot. 13: 194. 1950. (4) ROWnAND,J. L. National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments. June 9-10, 1953. J. Milk Food Technol. 15: 232. (5) U. S. DEPARTMENT O~' HIJA_LTIt, EDUCATION,
AND WELFARE. Training Frograms~ July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1955. (Available from Officer in Charge, Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati 26, Ohio.)
The Bulk Milk Handling and Pipe Line Milking on the Farm A d o p t i o n of S y s t e m W i l l Lead to G r e a t e r Efficiency H. E. CALBERT Department Dairy and Food Industries~ Uni~,ersit!! of Wisconsi~ A number of veers ago when the laro'e dairy operations on tile west coast turned to bulk milk handling and pipe line milking, it was not surprising. This was a natural development in the methods used there for the mass production and handling of large volumes of milk. However, the acceptance of bulk milk handling and pipe line milking by the average dairyman in other part~ of the country, particularly the Midwest, tins been ~nost unexpected. Wisconsin may serve as a good example of an area where this change is taking place in the dairy industry. This innovation has been referred to by many milk producers as the greatest development since the milking machine. I n the early part of 1951 there was only one bulk milk pick-up route in the entire state of
Wisconsin. This had approximately a dozen patrons and was being operated on a semiexperimental basis. The ndlk producers were typical dairymen for this aTea, the smallest having a herd of approximately 15 cows; the largest, about 50 cows. None of these producers were using pipe line milking. With the exception of' the experimental work being conducted by the University there were very few pipe line milking installations in the state. The few that were in use were primarily for "show" purposes and not in use on the typical dairy farm. t n the brief span of 3 years, the system of bulk milk handling and pipe line milking has received widespread acceptance by Wisconsin dairy farmers. At the present time there are