BUTTER PACKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1935, Page 4

BUTTER PACKING.

VACUUM PROCESS. FACTORY MANAGER'S COMMENT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) 1 WHANGAREI, this day. "The patent rights of the vacuum process of packing butter arc in the hands of a few individuals in New Zealand, who are demanding an excessive royalty," said Mr. J. Woods, factory manager, speaking at the annual meeting of the Hikurangi Dairy Co. yesterday. Ho was answering a question addressed by Mr. Svvann, who understood that an extra manufacturing cost of £8 per ton by the vacuum process was bringing a price appreciation of £20 per ton. It had been extensively adopted at Tamaki, and, he believed, kept the flavour as the butter came out of the churn, providing a palatable article as required by the English people. Mr. Woods said that the installation of a vacuum packing plant involved a large capital outlay in special packing machinery end churns and also for a separate building. The process was far from perfect as yet, and although some exceptionally good reports on the butter treated had been made there had also been adverse comments. Mr. Woods said that he had examined butter packed under the vacuum process after it had been three months in store, and it certainly showed an advantage over butter made in the usual way. Butter which had been packed for six months and which had been sent to England and back also retained a pleasing nutty flavour, but there was no guarantee that the premium for vacuum packed butter would be maintained on the English market. "Until the premium rights and royalties held by the proprietary interests are considerably reduced," he said, "I cannot see much in it.'-'