BUTTER AND CHEESE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20162, 24 January 1929, Page 14

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCT.

CRITICISM BY AN EXPERT.

BRITISH CONSUMERS' NEEDS.

MORE ATTENTION ADVISED.

fHV TKI.EGUAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CAMBRIDGE. Wednesday

The attitude to New Zealand dairy produce on the British market was dis cussed to-day by Sir Thomas Clement, of produce-buying firm ol Andrew Clement and Son, at a conference of 50 dairy factory directors and managers at Cambridge, Mr. F. H. Anderson presided.

Sir Thomas said bo was delighted to observe tho enormous growth of tho New Zealand dairying industry since he visited the country six years ago. It was almost unbelievable. Tho industry seemed to be thoroughly sound and progressive and yet notwithstanding this fact ho was afraid he must introduce a jarring note. He must tell them that while tho quantity was improving the quality was not improving. People at Home were beginning to realise that tho quality of New Zealand butter was slipping backward. Fortunately this could be arrested. It was not the "merchants or tho agents who mattered so much as the consumer, who made tho price. Outline of Faults.

One of the fault's with Now Zealand butter, said Sir Thomas, was that the flavour was overneutralised, with the result that it- lost palate. Tho lack of palate in butter made all the difference between a big consumption and a small consumption. With reference to cheese (he fault was not so much with regard to the flavour—although this could be improved by a little more cheddaring—as with the openness of the texture.

Tins was a fault whirl) was growing Tho defect was a very, very serious one-

If a trier were put in the. cheese the plug might come out all right. If, however, a wire were put through it and its freshlv-cut surface was exposed to the atmosphere for 24 hours it would lie-in to crack and pennies could be put into the holes. The cheese was not attractive to the housekeepor and she would think there was something wrong with it, and would not buy it again. Sir Thomas said he was quite certain these faults could be remedied, but they would not be remedied if the methods latterly adopted in New Zealand wore further pursued. There was too much moisturo in New Zealand cheese and in the producers' mad rush for yield by in corporating water in the product the quality of the article was suffering. These methods were fatal. The whole industry required tightening up.

Standardised Cheese.. Dealing with the manufacture of standardised cheeso from skim milk the speaker said the issue lay with the factory directors as to whether they were going to make standardised cheese or stick to the full-cream cheese. Personally lie had never handled cheese that contained too much fat, provided the product was properly made. Skimming, in his opinion, never helped the quality of cheese.

'1 lie experiments made in New Zealand were not conclusive. It would be nothing short of a calamity if factory directors adopted new ideas before these were thoroughly tried, lie advised his hearers to thoroughly test the standardised cheese before deciding lo manufacture it. He did not approve of paraffining cheese. It had never helped the quality and the time would come when paraffining cheese in order to maintain the moisture would die a natural death.

The New Zealand system of grading butter and cheese, he considered, was due for an overhaul. It was introduced many years ago when it was based on academic lines. "Quality Going Back." With regard to standard and quality, his experience had shown him that the quality of New Zealand butter and cheese was definitely going back. More attention should be paid to the check grading in iiiiigland than to the New Zealand grading. The making of New Zealand cheese was rushed too much. The grading in his opinion should coincide with the public taste, which changed from year to year. .More knowledge concerning the consumers taste should be conveyed to the graders. The buyers took little'notice of (he grade notes. J heir concern was how the quality suited the consumer's taste when it. was opened up at Home. It was pointed out that it Sir Thomas' advice was followed there would be a dmp in the grading points and a consequent reduction of a halfpenny per lb. His reply was that the grading system should be changed. More time should be spent in the making of cheese. Waxed cheese opened up well but when cut up il <lid not maintain its quality, lie suggested that the number of ports of call at which overseas boats loaded in New Zealand should be reduced.

Mr. F. W. Seifert, Morririsville, describes the position an an extraordinary one. He said the industry had been informed by official sources that all was well with it, but Sir Thomas Clement had dispelled that idea. There was something wrong with the manufacturing system. Experience of Holland. Holland. Sir Thomas said, was the only country which made standardised cheese, and the sale of that country's product had gone back considerably in recent years. New Zealand butter suffered from the taste ot sorla. The openness of texture and the fault in the quality of New Zealand cheese were more apparent early in the season, when the butter-fat content was less than it was later. The New Zealand climate was more suitable for cheese-making than that of Canada. He quite agreed with the suggestion that excessive fertilising had something to do with the quality of tho product. The North Island butter and cheese had deteriorated in quality slightly more than the Souih Island product. I lie only explanation he could offer regarding the Government reports which commented favourably on New Zealand butter and cheese, was that those making the reports were out of date in their methods. He would advise the makers to watch the grading figures carefully and (o watch the reports received from the l'"mrlish graders and agents. It should be the makers' aim not to satisfy the graders in Auckland but to satisfy the British public. They were the people for whom the producers were catering and their likes and dislikes should lie considered. Benefit of Research.

'lhere was room for further investigation of technical questions with regard to dairying. .Scientific research should be pursued. lie considered makers were altogether too haphazard in their use of starters. Some places should lie established in Now Zealand where starters of absolute quality and dependability could be obtained.

Another hindrance to tho dairying industry in New Zealand was the irregular freight service. In December, for instance, New Zealand delivered 400 tons of cheese to Britain, while in January 14.500 tons were delivered. The people ate as much cheese in December as in .January, and to overload tho market in one month and starve it in another was not good for business. It would be a trooi 1 thing if pressure were brought to bear on the authorities insisting on tho provision of more regular shipments. Sir Thomas added that acids, like charitv. covered a multitude of faults and were undesirable in dairy produce.

.The chairman said Sir Thomas had given dairymen something else to think about, and he considered factory directors should get together and review the situation.