CHEESE QUALITY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 19, 17 October 1930, Page 8

CHEESE QUALITY

London Complaints

MR. lORNS CRITICISED

Standardisation Upheld

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Hamilton, October 16.

The question whether standardisation is responsible for complaints received regarding the quality of New Zealand cheese, was discussed at a meeting of eheese factory representatives in Hamilton, convened by the South Auckland Dairy Association, for the purpose of advising Mr. C. L. Luke, the South Auckland representative on the Dairy Control Board, of the dairy companies’ attitude. Mr. W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, was present, and Mr. 8. A. Ferguson presided. Mr. F. H. Anderson, of Cambridge, said the industry had been surprised at the hostile attitude adopted by Mr. W. A. lorns, chairman of the Control Board, toward the standardisation of cheese, and it vie.wed with apprehension the effect of Mr. lorns’s condemnation on the sale of the product in London. He considered that Mr. lorns was not justified in his attitude, and he quoted a report of the Empire Marketing Board to show that the decline in prices realised for New Zealand cheeses was not due to standardisation. The trouble had originated before standardisation was adopted, and was due, he considered, to a general slackness existing in the industry, and in the manufacture of full cream cheese.

Mr. C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Dairy Company, Ltd., supported Mr. Anderson. He agreed that there was room for improvement in manufacturing methods, and he considered that much undesirable publicity had been given to the industry. He pointed out that standardised cheese carried a guarantee .if butterfat content and dry matter which was in excess of that required by the British regulations. The company’s Loudon manager, Mr. .1. B. Wright, had reported that standardisation was not responsible for the present trouble, and that he was not prepared to recommend a reversion to the manufacture of full cream cheese.

The following motion w-as carried unanimously:—“That this meeting of representatives of cheese companies in the Auckland Province is of opinion that a degree of improvement in the quality of make of cheese in New Zealand (full cream and standardised), can be brought about by the tightening up of the existing grading regulations, and protests against any proposal to abolish the present regulations, which permit of standardisation.” DAIRY BOARD MOVING Special Meeting of Committee The manufacture and export of standardised cheese will be the subject of a special meeting of a committee of the Dairy Produce Board next week, to be followed by a discussion by the board itself, according to information by a discussion according to information received by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de la Pcrrelle, following an interview with the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. A. J. Murdoch. Much controversy has centred upon the export of standardised cheese, and following an interview with Mr. Murdoch, in which he emphasised the need for the strict enforcement of the regulations governing the manufacture of full-cream cheese, as desired by the Southland Cool Stores. Limited, Mr. Perrelle has received the following reply : — “The whole position regarding the manufacture and export of standardised cheese is being closely investigated, and will be the subject next week of a special meeting of a committee of the Dairy Produce Board, to be followed by a discussion by the board itself. After these discussions a decision will be made as to What line of action will be adopted. It may be added that this season upwards of at least 60 factories in the North Island have changed over from standardised to full-cream eheese.”