N.Z. butter

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 14

N.Z. butter

Sir,—Not many people will agree with the reported remarks from the Tai Tapu Dairy Company, the Dairy Board and Mrs Catherine Saunders (“The Press,” November 24). This is no minor matter. It is these minor matters in the past that have this country in the sad condition it is today. For the first time in well over 70 years of living with New Zealand butter I have a valid complaint. If I require a spreadable product I can buy margarine. In the past I have preferred to melt 'my own butter as required. After massive complaints from home and commercial bakers, the manager of the Dairy Board, Mr Neville Martin, has some recommendations in the use of the present butter product to bakers. Now he tells us. We have lived with the variations of flour. The complaints are against New Zealand butter. We are aware of the substance, carotene, but the only outside influence on our butter was a slight flavour if the cows had been feeding on swedes — Yours, etc., N. McKAY. November 24, 1982. Sir,—There appears to be a mild controversy regarding butter. I consider there has been a marginal deterioration in the palatability of locally produced butter. When in Europe I preferred English, French, Irish, Danish or German . butter for palatability, although New Zealand butter was the cheapest. New Zealand butter should be best as we have the ■ advantage of being able to feed our cows on fresh grass all the year. The New Zealand butter is laced with salt and excess salt is a known health hazard. The salt-free butter is obnoxious and easily becomes partly rancid. I would suggest a low-salt butter, churned in the traditional way, attractively packaged and done up in 250 gram' lots or less for those who prefer butter to margarine yet are conscious of the health hazards of too much salt and animal fat. — Yours, etc DR S. P. ABVALAM. .November 25, 1982.