BASE USES FOR BUTTER

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 87, 12 April 1923, Page 10

BASE USES FOR BUTTER

NEW ZEALAND BRANDS IN MARGARINE SIR tf&MES ALLEN'S VISIT TO PURFLEET. MtV OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 27th February. Yesterday Sir James Allen had an opportunity of seeing for himself how Sanioan copva and best New Zealand butter are combined t,o make a high grade of margarine. The only consolation that producers may gain from this use of their produce is the fact that none but- the very highest grade of butter is suitable for mixing with the various other oils and fats to produce what is a fair imitation of butter. Lower grade butter would cause the margarine to go rancid. A considerable amount of Samoan copra is being sold by the High Commissioner's Department to the Jurgen's Purfleet Margarine Works, and it was owing to this fact that Sir James Allen received an invitation to visit the factory which, in its way, is unique. _ Among other things, the directors maintain that their factory system is such that strikes are out of the question. There are some 9CO people employed, and everyone doing the same kind of work gets the same amount of wages, besides which all employees receive a proportion of the profits. The works are very much up-to-date. There is a splendid canteen. There are welfare women to look after the women employees, and two trained nurses who not only look after the health of the employees, but who are at the disposal of the members of the employees' families. If an employee happens to get behind in his rent through no fault of his own the company comes to his assistance, or if he is forced through illness to go_ into hospital his position is open to him on his recovery. Sir James Allen was greatly interested in the manufacture of the margarine, and came away with a higher appreciation of its food value. Copra, which is bought up by the firm, is sent to the parent firm in Rotterdam, where the oil is extracted and sent back to London. Palm kernel oil from West Africa and from Sumatra is also used in the manufacture. Although copra oil is dearer, it is more binding, and the two oils are used in the proportion of 60 per cent, copra to 40 per cent, palm oil. The High. Commissioner had an opportunity of seeing the whole process of manufacture. The oils are first refined, and all free fatty acids are extracted. From the company's own farm there come 4000 gallons of milk per day, and milk, oils, and beef dripping are churned up together. If the colour is not satisfactory the mixture is subjected to a,. bleaching process, and subsequently it is raised to the temperature of 140 degrees Centigrade in order to deodorise it. The mixture is then ( run off through taps and falls into troughs above which revolve great metal drums, fifteen tons in weight, and filled with \ ice. The 'margarine freezes on to the drums and is scraped off as the drums revolve. This material is the margarine which, is useful for cooking. In order to raise it to a higher standard for gating purposes butter is added, the prico of the finished product depending upon the proportion of butter used. The best quality margarine had 10 per cent, of New Zealand butter mixed with it. Kauri, Anchor, Kai, and Inglewood are some of the brands in use. Fourteen different kinds of margarine are made in the factory; and these are divided into 120 brands, 1000 tons of margarine being turned out per week.