TREATMENT OF WHEY

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 January 1921, Page 3

TREATMENT OF WHEY

(To the Editor.)

. Sir,—An item in your paper of Friday last, taken from the Otaki Mail, in regard, to the treatment of whey, cannot he allowed to pass without a word of comment. The statement made was that a cheese factory over at Eketahuna had installed a whey separator, and for a month’s work had collected something like £IOO for whey cream, which would otherwise have been lost. Attention was then drawn to the method of disposal at a cheese factory in this district, obviously the Kuku factory, some of whose suppliers had been disposing of the residue by tipping it into gravel pits and on to the roads, the Eketahuna method of disposal being described as “a valuable lesson in economy and the prevention of waste that should appeal to other factories.” Just so. It might he of interest to learn that the Kuku factory installed a whey separator five years ago, and for the last two years has been manufacturing whey butter, the proceeds from which more than pay the wages bill of the factory. Further than that, the company has encouraged the saving of calves’ veils, paying 3/, each for first-class and 2/ each for second-class quality. These are then dispatched to Eltham, where rennet is manufactured from them, and the rennet received in return forms a large proportion of the requirements of the factory. Another form of activity undertaken by Kuku is the cooperative store, the turnover from which last month ran into four figures. On top of all this, Kuku grades among the very highest in the Wellington province for its output of cheese, and its manager (Mr G. Woods) has already proved that he is one of the best in New Zealand. Taking all these things into consideration, Kuku has nothing to learn from Eketahuna, which has evidently only awakened to the fact of the value of the treatment of whey, and the moral which is sought to be drawn for our factory’s special benefit misses the mark by about a mile. It should he pointed out, however, that although whey is separated for its fat content, that does not dispose of the whey. It still remains, and some farmers do not make the proper use of it. After separation, whey still contains sugar of milk, a valuable pig-fattening food, which should be utilised) for this purpose instead of allowing it to be wasted. —I am, etc., A DIRECTOR. January 26, 1921,