SKIM MILK

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1945, Page 6

SKIM MILK

WASTAGE OF VALUABLE FOOD 11. J. Geddes, Lecturer in Animal Husbandry, University of Sydney, writing in the “Herald” states: A large untapped source of excellent human food exists in skim milk, byproduct of the butter industry. There is as much protein in the skim milk and butter milk as in the entire output of the moat industries. Most of the protein is wasted as human food by feeding _ it to pigs. When pigs are fed on milk alone, a common pre-war practice and not unknown to-day, not more than onetwelfth of the protein is recovered in the pork or bacon. There is no nutritional advantage to the human in using the pig as an intermediary. If anything, the protein of pork is inferior to the protein of milk. The skim milk and butter from •a gallon of whole milk contain as, much energy as the butter fat, as well' as nearly all the protein and minerals of milk. Nutritionally, they are the “better half” of milk, yet the normal return from skim milk is Id to lid a gallon, while the butter fat brings in 7d to 9d. Butter milk sells for id a gallon or less. Drying would be necessary to use the skim milk effectively. Chief objections to the wholesale recovery of this food are the costs of collection ahd drying and the price of the final product. Price is the key. If the price were raised to cover these costs, and to diyert skim milk to drying plants, milk "powdei' would still be a far cheaper food than the alternatives. Direct use of skim milk as a human food would give increased stability to the dairying industry. At present we use only half the product of the cow efficiently and expect it to carry 90 per cent, of the cost. The margarine threat, now greater

than ever as a result of the war, makes it desirable for the industry to develop new and remunerative outlets for its products, especially for those not used efficiently at present. There should be scope for a new breakfast food based on milk powder. To-day in England every baker must add milk powder to his bread, a practice that makes bread a far better food. The improved health of English people in war-time may here find explanation. In a world facing famine, a country like Australia can ill afford to waste protein equal in quantity and quality to its huge beef, mutton and lamb output.