BORIC IN BUTTER

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1928, Page 19

BORIC IN BUTTER

PRESERVATIVES ORDER TRADERS' VIEW POINT (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 16th May. • An echo of the controversy about preservatives in Australian and New Zealand butter is to be found in the latest number of "The Times Supplement." Mr. L. Somers Bradford, managing editor of "The Primary Producers' News," Sydney, writes to refute the charges against Dominion butter made by a correspondent of "The Times" on 11th February.. It was then declared "that trade in Dominion 1 lutter will suffer seriously from the operation of the public health regulations which prohibit tho admixture of presor vatives." As is known now, the statement was part of a propaganda- campaign organised by the blenders. Mr. Bradford points out that the or der of the Ministry of Health forbidding the use of boric acid or any of the boron derivatives in butter imported into the United Kingdom was of no interest to two of the great butter exporting States of Australia or to the Dominion of New Zealand, because nei ther Queensland nor New South Wales has used preservatives in the manufacture of butter for many years past. "The keeping qualities of those but; ters," he says, "have never yet been impugned, while the whole trouble is traceable to certain complaints made by English importers regarding shipments of butter from Victoria which opened up in an unsatisfactory condition. It should bo understood by the Britisn public that of the three great manufacturing States of Aus ralia, Victoria has been the only one which, until compeJl ed by the Imperial prohibition to desist, has insisted on using boric acid in the course of manufacture of her butter. The change over from a process almost hallowed by custom has found that State not yet able1 to master the technique of manufacturing a non-preserva- ■ tised butter. That is an admitted fact; but Victorian exported butter does riot embrace the whole of the butter exported from Australia. "Both Queensland and New South Wales brands, have attained a high standing among British importers, -ho know perfectly well that preservatives have not been used by the: manufacturers of the these two States for many years. ■ "The same condition prevails in New Zealand, and to support'this, statement I need only quote the official statements made by the chairman of the New Zealand; Control Board at its Feb-: ruary meeting when discussing this cry matter. Mr. Grounds stated:. 'As far as N,ew Zealand waV, concerned this was' palpable misrepresentation, as none of their leading factories have been using preservatives for years arid the keeping quality of their produce had been prov-; cd beyond 'question.' " CASE FOE PEESBEVATIVES. The interest of the matter lies in the footnote. The editor has allowed the original contributor to repeat his views. He writes:— . , "From the standpoint of Dominion producers, Mr. Somers Bradford states the case with perfect fairness. But there is also the point of view of traders at-Home. In ai parts of the country, and in all sections of the distributive trade, from the importers down to the . smallest retailers; there- - are cam-; plaints that quantities of butter/from the Dominions shipped without-preser-vatives have failed to hold their freshness and'quality. The fact "is repeatedly mentioned at meetings of the trade organisations, e.g.,.at the annual meeting of.-the. I/onclon Provision Exchange on 14th March, 1928,;' and the Manchester, Wholesale Provision Assb-1 ciation on 15th March, 1928, as well as at numerous meetings of retailers. The object of the statement to which Mr. Somers Bradford takes exception was to point out the injury which I .believe is certain to be done to the Dominions? trade by the operation of'the preservatives regulations. Later experience confirms the view that unless the order is annulled or amended Continental but;', ters, which have only a short sea journey, will benefit in the English markets and Dominion butters will consequently suffer. As this subject;is under discussion it is of some interest to mention that the Health authorities* of the Commonwealth and States of Australia recently decided to permit the continuance of the use of preservatives in butter intended for domestic consumption. (See section 31, clause 3, of the Uniform Standards for Foods and Drugs.) Is not this evidence that those "who1 tiave been urging the non-use of preservative in Australia have not met with success?"