Discolouration of Cheese and a New Remely.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 2130, 26 February 1897, Page 3

Discolouration of Cheese and a New Remely.

«t There Is Frequently a loss of cheeße through discolouration, or rather through the colouring matter used tailing to act properly. The cheese inetead of turning •out a uniform rich colour through it, m Teveals a mottled centre when cut into. At the beginning of last season, the ■cheesemakers in the west of Scotland appointed a committee to investigate a this matter of irregularity in the colouring of cheese. The committee enlisted the services of Mr Drumtnond, the popular instructor at Kilmarnock. Dairy School, to undertake eoaie experiments «* at various farms. Mr J. R. Campbell, Professor of Dairy Science in the Glasgow Technical College, was also asked to lend a hand in throwing a light on the ■r subject. Mr Campbell discovered that the mischief was due to the action of a bacterium which has the power of bleaching annatto, the dye used by ehees'e* makers. Mr Campbell isolated the imcterkini, and proved that the colouring m alter spoken of could oot maintain its *», ground in preeence of thjfl organism. This bacterium gains admittance to the milk along with the other bacteria that are ever on the watch to batten on that - l&ujdi. Mr Drummond is now advocating * .change in the method he taught since coming to Scotland, and he argues, with a fair show of truth, that, in following it out; the risk of discolouration is reduced to a . minimum-. His new system is directed to the discouragement of all and sundry **" feebteria* with the exceptionof the, species which produces lactic acid. He proceeds on the lines of leaving the milk to be turned into cheese with the lactic ** «cid ferment, up till that stage endeavouring to keep all the others in check, and he is able to point to cbeeee made in accordance with his eld principles, and * 'to others made on the new style, which 'bear out his contention that the latter method hinders the propagation of the 'undesirable bacteria. The new method - «eema At first sight a reversion to the one in useby Scotch makersbefere Mr Drummond came to Scotland. Instead •of the eonr whey of the latter, however, a preparation of Mr Braoamond's own is in the newer instance added to the nixed milk. This preparation U milk in an . advanced stage of ripening, and in each "* a condition as to rapi lly promote ripen- j ing in the contents of tbe milk vat. The vitfue of thie "atarter," as it ie already being popularly termed, lies in "*l.he lactio acid ferments it is supposed to •contaiti and in its being of a purer nature (than the Boar whey, ;