DAIRY PRODUCE GRADING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 56, 7 March 1929, Page 24

DAIRY PRODUCE GRADING.

ANSWER TO CRITICISMS. PROOF FROM LONDON. The grading of cheese and butter in New Zealand has been, the subject of criticism in some interested quarters in New Zealand recently. Mr. \V. M. Singleton, the director of the dairydivision of the Agricultural Department, made a very good answer to those critics when he gave some simple facts to the dairy managers attending the dairy conference this afternoon. He pointed out that in this jonnection tho prices received by dairy companies could not always be accepted as a criterion of what the grading should have been. There were times when an importer might be successful in placing a quantity of butter or cheese with some special merchant, or in some special district, where no objection would be raised to the special defect which might characterise the parcel. During the 192G-27 season the Department had many definite comparisons made oi the poiuts allotted for butter and cheese by New Zealand graders, and of tho same boxes and crates after arrival in London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom as four.d by Messrs. Wright and Ross of the Dairy Division. It was fairly creditable to dairy factory managers that of some 2">o boxes graded "finest,"' only three boxes were allotted below Si) points in the United Kingdom. A fair percentage of those pointed as "finest" in New Zealand were pointed as '"first grade" in the United Kingdom, which, having regard to time in transit and varying periods between defrosting and examination, was a natural expectation. When one surveyed the first grades the position, while not so pleasing, was of course'not unexpected. Although the great majority remained true to grade, a larger percentage than could be desired fell below the minimum points for first grade in the United Kingdom. Of those boxes which scored 91J points in New Zealand there was ecoreJ in the United Kingdom between S9J and 881 points, some £0 per cent, as eoir.pared with 34 per cent of those which scored 91 points in New Zealand.

The comparison between cheese grade points as allocated in New Zealand and in London was even- more satisfactory than that for butter. Of the cheese reported upon, Messrs. Wright and Koss classed (a) as graded ia New Zealand, 91.2 per cent, (b) lower than classed in New Zealand, 8.4 per cent, (c) higher than classed in New Zealand, two crates, or 0.4 per cent. From that comparison it appeared that (1) the graders in New Zealand classified correctly over 91 per cent ol these cheeses; (2) the irregularities, representing a small percentage of the grading, are mostly due to deterioration of non-pasteurised cheese while in store or in transit.

Probably these results were as close to perfection as could be expected from work of human agency under existing conditions. It was manifest, however, that if there were higher minimum points for the "finest" and "first grade" classes, there would be a marked reduction in our butter and cheese, so classed, which would be scored below 00 points in the United Kingdom. Are those who criticise the grading advocating such a change, and if so does the industry desire such a modification? asked Mr. Singleton.