Babcock test
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Babcock test is an inexpensive and practical procedure to determine the fat content of milk. It is named after its developer, Stephen M. Babcock (1843–1931), professor at the University of Wisconsin.[1][2][3]
The bottle and the test were developed by Stephen Babcock in 1890 as a simple but accurate way to detect adulterations practiced by some dairy farmers, including diluting the milk with water or skimming some cream.[3]
The test was quickly adopted by dairymen, and also by farmers to help the breeding of milk cows.[3] The tests were usually done monthly by an employee of the local Dairy Herd Improvement Association.[citation needed] Babcock's refusal to patent his process or the device greatly helped its widespread diffusion.[4][5]
In 1911, the American Dairy Science Association's Committee on Official Methods of Testing Milk and Cream for Butterfat, chaired by O. F. Hunziker, met in Washington DC with the Dairy Division of the USDA, the U.S. Bureau of Standards and manufacturers of glassware.[6] As a result of those talks, the procedure and the special glassware were standardized by the US government in 1917.[7][8] Additional specifications were published by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (now AOAC International) in 1927.[9]
