BUTTER-BLENDING.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14668, 17 May 1913, Page 7

BUTTER-BLENDING.

INTERVIEW WITH THE HIGH

COMMISSIONER

• THE NECESSITY FOR HIGH

QUALITY

(ntOll OXTR OWN CORRESroVPKNT).

LONDON, April 4. The subject of butter-blending has assumed of late a vary great degree of prominence in tho trade, so much so that tho Hon. Thomas Mackenzie has given the matter very careful consideration. New Zealand producers who aro affected by this process will read with interest tho following interview with tho High Commissioner.

"There can be no doubt," ho said, "that, properly carried on, the process of blending butters is a quito legitimate process, and butter so manipulated must conform to tho Government regulations, in so far that it j must not contain more than 16 por! cent, of moisture. No doubt tho process of blending butters has been forced upon the provision dealers, owing to the fact that there is 6Uch a | quantity of butter coming irregularly from different parts of the world to this market. To ennblo the- provision merchant to supply Tiis customers with a regular article from week to week and year in and year out, it has been < necessary for him to blond certain butters together to enablo him to supply a uniform article at a uniform price all tho year round, and an aiticlo to-euit tho taste of customers. It is claimed that trading conditions in I tno United Kingdom are such as to make it unreasonable to expect tho retailer to sell the various colonial and Continental butters under their own names owing to the great variety which comes to hand from time to time and the irregularity of the supply, although poking at it from tho colonial proclucei s point of view, ouo naturally expects to seo his produce sold for what it is; but it is contended that it is also absolutely necessary to look at this matter from tho retailer's point of view. If the Dominions, beyond the seas and Continental butter-producing countries could supply tho provision dealer of the United Kingdom with a uniform quality of butter in uniform quantities all the year round, such as the Danes aro able to do, there would be much more likelihood of the various butters being sold under the designation of the country of origin. I attribute, tho groat success that tho Danes have experienced in the butter market to the fact that a grocer can rely on having a regular supply of the same brand and quality all the year round. Therefore, ho can confidently state to his customers that he can supply them regularly with Danish butter, but this he cannot do in the case of colonial butters. The general averago quality of New Zealand butters is so high .that I should certainly like to see them sold under their own name, if that which I mention later could be carried out. With reference to milkblended butter, this produce is not regarded in the sense of a puro commercial butter, and such butter has" to bo sold for what ib is. Tho regulations allow that such mixtures may contain 24 per cent, of moisture, but this is a diminishing trade.

"With regard to tho fraudulent manipulation of Australian butters, that is a matter which Sir George Reid and Sir Johu Taverner have on hand, and on which I am not in a position to offer an opinion. But I havo evidence that certain New Zealand butters havo been retailed by grocers as the best Dorset, although I am nob prepared to fitato that this is a general practice. Referring again to the blending of buttnrs, to a certain extent that is bencficiaj to countries supplying butter nofc of first Cjuality, as it enables a very largo quantity of secondary butters to be sold at reasonable prices after having been blended with a certain proportion of high-grade butters. Were it not for this blending process producers of secondary butters would have to accept a very much lower price for their produce than they do at the present time, in fact, with tho great strides that margarine is making, it is reasonable to suppose that in a measurable- space of time it will be almost impossible for grocers to sell butter of a secondary quality.

"To put tho whole matter in a nutshell i£ is necessary for tho producers of colonial butters to strain every nerve to supply an article of high grnde quality. That is, in my opinion, the best way to combat Continental and margarine competition, and tho producers can then rest assured that they v/ill always receive the best market values for their produce. In view of what I havo stated, it is essential for our New Zealand producers to aim at supplying only tho highest grade butters. They enn do it. In the total of their output they aro doing: it now. If blending continues hero, tho7i high grade butters -will bo used for ivorkincc off inferior butters, and will fetch good prices. More important still, our butter will, I think, riso nearer to first placo. and it would, in my opinion rise to first placo were it possible for pro-' ducers so to organise as to send their supplies more through established cannnols for a creator part nf the year thnn is now tho case. Candour' requires me to stiy that unfortunately in Boino districts in Now Zealand there is a sl.ykeninc: of attention to details, which can and must be rectified."

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