MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1153, 14 June 1911, Page 10

MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. During tho present season more than three times as many analyses of butters have been made in Victoria than in any other butter-exporting country (says tho Melbourne "Argus"). Samples analysed by the Federal analyst uu'ler tho Commerce Act numbered 6723, by the State analyst' for educational purjios'.-s 119, and at the Government Cool Stores in experimental work, 583. v Mr. Crowe, superintendent of export's, recently stated that -two most striking results had been procured from the experiments at t'he cool stores, the more important being tho causo of the recent (liscrepaucies between tho first and second analysis. The first sample was drawn >froin boxes when the butter was in normal condition, at a temperature of about COdeg. Fnhr. When the result was made known and the factory manager asked foj a re-tesl the butter had reached a chilled condition, and it was usual to procure the second sample from the but-, ter at that' stage. The re-test sometimes confirmed the original verdict, but as often showed much lower result's. In instances of lower results the butter was released for shipment as complying with the standard, when the first had shown that it' did not comply. The apparently dry butters showed very slight discrepancy between the two samples, but with the butters showing free moisture the difference was quite pronounced, the average being 0.684 per cent. When the boxes were thawed and subsequent samples taken at the original temperature tho result agreed with the first test. In future no samples will be drawn from chillcd or frozen butters for analysis. With butter, Mr. Crowe pointed out. "things are not always what they seem." The numerous tests proved that apparently dry butters upon, analysis were found to be wet 'in comparison with thoie showing free moisture. ...The average percentage of all the apparently .dry was ■15.3 per cent; and'of those showing free moisture only M per cent.- Hitherto it' was generally known by experts that apparently moist, butter sometimes showed a low moisture content upon analysis, whilst a butter dry ii\ appearance occasionally gave high 'results. Now it was proved that the wet butters generally speaking were dry, and the dry-looking butters moist.