BUTTER AND CHEESE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 January 1929, Page 6

BUTTER AND CHEESE

QUESTION OF QUALITY.

FRANK CRITICISMS BY MR, W. G. K. WRIGHT.

DELEGATE TO WORLD DAIRY CONGRESS.

Returned recently from a visit to the Old Country, Mr W. G. K. Wright, editor of the “New Zealand Dairyman,” who acted as official delegate for the New Zealand Dairy Factory Mangers’ Association, had much of interest and value and a lot of useful advice t.c give to managers when he addressed them at their annual conference at Patea yesterday He was very frank in his ciiticisms and told them plainly ihe results ox his observations while travelling m England and in the continental dairying countries. “The duties of a delegate,”, said Mr Wright in prefacing his remarks and observations, “were a sinecure because the speakers had been chosen' months before the opening of the congress and debates were limited. World-famed authorities always seemed ready to occupy the full debating time and to contest the statements and findings of their brother scientists. ” Mr Wright, said that so far as ho could see no finality was- reached in experiments mainly because some other experimentalist seemed to have reached a different conclusion by other ways and means. There were no- round table debates to standardise results and therefore in his opinion the real value of the work was lost. The congress, however, was invaluable because it brought together people with a common interest from all parts of the world and interchange of ideas was facilitated. Various farms were visited but lie was unable to take part in these tours, but in visits by himself to farms-, factories and milk depots he probably learned more. He spent a great deal of time in Tooley Street and was given every facility by wholesalers and merchants to see New Zealand anti other produce. Nothing was kept back from him.

CHEESE QUALITY DETERIORATED. Mr Wright said it was undoubtedly a fact that the quality of New Zealand cheese had gradually deteriorated on the British markets during recent years. This gradual decline was morenoticeable in the -body of the cheese than in flavour or meatiness and was known as “openness,” which was not to be confused with loose texture, but was a distinct fault developed of recent years when particles- of curd become separated owing to exposure in cracks along the edges of each cheese exposed to. the air. The fault had reached such dimensions as to be a serious menace to the future of the industry and was causing a decline in demand and consequently a decline in price relative to other competitors. This was very noticeable in a comparison of New Zealand prices with Canadian. The loss to the industry would mean a total of £750,000 if the difference in quality is assumed to- be £lO per ton. If the season should he one of low prices the blame would probably be laid on the increased production depressing the market, but it was the opinion of many that a high standard of quality would lead to increased consumption that would equal the increase in supply. MORE. RESEARCH NEEDED. New Zealand had not nearly her fair share of research work relative to her importance in the industry compared with other countries and it would he a good use to which to put funds from the State, to spend more on scientific research work, not only into all questions relative to dairying, but more particularly to those relating to the peculiar conditions existing, in New Zealand. The first step- should he the retaining of the services of several of the vorld’s best dairy scientists to study ter conditions and to instruct scientists already in this country and to do research work in dairying.

INFLUENCE OF MANURES. It would appear that the use of artificial fertilisers had changed the character of the herbage in this country and the flavour of the milk. Pasteurising had overcome the flavours in milk but had raised the new problem as to the flavour of the finished article, and also instituted changed methods of manufacture. This in turn should all be investigated. The attention of the industry should be turn, ed to the production and distribution | of starters of absolutely pure quality and so selected as to bring • but the maximum quality in the finished product. More attention should be paid to’ the final destination of the cheese, that is to the palate, than to how it shows up at ironing or at the grading ports. PARAFFINING. ( | Paraffined cheese developed a dead- ; ness in character and while there was i a slight saving in weight there was ] an ultimate loss to the retailer in curing it and the quality of the product ; had suffered by the process which seem- . ed to check tlie proper curing influences j at work in the cheese. STANDARDISING NOT FAVOURED. J ■Standardisation should not have been * adopted without much more inform- " ation and experimental work and though * tlie opinion was held by some that , standardised milk was better than full ]. cream, this had not yet been proved, " and needed much more investigation. If standardisation should not prove the success its advocates claimed, the ultimate effect would be vei^® serious and £ cause still more prejudice in England among consumers. “They do not tinderstand standardisation,” lie said, “but 1 they know what full cream is and any 1 divergence from this creates an im- I press ion of inferiority. ( BUTTER MANUFACTURE. !

I The pasteurising and neutsalisat*n of butter had resulted in a butter closely approaching a neutral fat which , had lost all the true virtues qf a butter with a flavour stimulating the eating of larger quantities. What was lvanted Avas a butter Avitli free bouquet i 1 and this could be secured by the use of a proper starter culture. The Danish culture Avas one selected to develop the maximum flavour in from one to tAvo Aveekg from the eliurn. hut New Zealand Avould need a much longer lived culture.' Referring to shipping, lie said the next shipping contract should pay more attention to irregularity of dates of arrival in Great Britain than does the presen t. RINDLESS .CHEESE LIKED. j The trade, said Mr Wright, appreciates the progress made in the elimination of the rind in New Zealand cheese. The cheesemaker® in England '

give much more attention to finish than do the- New Zealanders and the 401bs or medium cheeses are kept an the press for two days and the lOlbs to 141bs for one day. Every factory in New Zealand should have a special press room to provide more presses. This was a feature lie had tried to introduce for several years.

The English people took great pride in the finish of their product and when the cheese was stripped the skin was “like a child’s.’’ Some English makers dip the cheese in water at 140 per cent, and put them back in the press again but the practice should be adopted of douching the presses so as to improve the skin. More time should also be given to let the cheese “cheddar” in the normal manner and this would tend to obviate openness and lead to more meaty cheese and silky texture. BUTTER, MANUFACTURE. “The average quality in New Zealand butter is intensely satisfactory,” he said, “and there have been practically no complaints regarding neutralising flavours. The use of neutralising agents should he dispensed with as early as possible. Our competitors 1 are I endeavouring in every way to copy or improve on New Zealand butter. The question of dairy pastures deserves much more consideration than at present, and there is l much room for research work in this direction.. Soil chemistry and nature of pastures might be more closely studied.”

The “finest” quality was all that could he desired. There was no doubt that farm dairy instruction was a valuable asset and a link between factory and farmer, hut cream carting should lie one daily to enable makers to receive cream of a loav standard of acidity, and so eliminate neutralisers. The standard of acidity must he regnlate|l in keeping with the position of the l countrv of production and its markets. In distant countries it was necessary to manufacture a sweet cream butter with the acidity of the cream between .15 to .17 at time of churning. In Denmark the acidity is only .3 to .6, and this, though imparting a natural full flavour, impairs its keeping qualities. CHURNING OVERDONE.

In churning butter should not be overworked, and the policy of added moisture after a stop to examine the water content should he eliminated. OTHER AVENUES. “There is a considerable market,”. Mr Wright found on inquiry, “for < dried buttermilk in the States. In factory machiney New Zealand is right up to date, and probably better equipped th/m any. other country in the world. Later investigation bore out that statement.” IMPROVED PACKING NEEDED. There was much room for improvement in packing for export. The use of machine packers conduced to the formation of an air lock in the butter, which made apertures or spaces, increasing the surface of the butter and causing oxidisation of the fats. This made anything but a pleasing effect on the minds 1 of the buyers. Butter boxes were in some cases far too thin, and did not afford adequate protection for the butter, the vulnerable points being the angles of the boxes and permitting dirt, sawdust, etc., to enter. Expert® said that no box used is as good as that complying with the standard 1 regulations, and. butter in these boxes had always carried better. The excessive amount of handling undergone by the produce before landing must be appreciated, and therefore containers were necessary that were, able to stand the strain of all this handling. HANDLING AND STORAGE.

Tii© contracts for cool storage had proved most satisfactory, and great benefits must- accrue to the producers, because the produce had been protected against extremes of heat and cold. There was no contract in tin's direction for west country -ports, and it was hoped by the speaker that this would soon lie arranged. The package butter was the only method of getting the New Zealand butter under its own name. The New Zealand creamery butter was exceedingly popular, and was procurable from many firms. It was suggested that wrappers should be enclosed in the boxes so that retailers might use them, hut this was not recommended. A hearty vote of thanks was 1 aocorded Mr Wright for his able address, his frank criticism, and his valuable services at all times to the managers and to the industry.