LARGE ORDER

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3113, 1 May 1942, Page 6

LARGE ORDER

DEHYDRATED BUTTER

20,000 TONS FOR ENGLAND IMPORTANCE TO INDUSTRY Of great importance to the Waikele and Thames Valley and, indeed, th? whole of New Zealand, is the information that the British Ministry of Food has offered to enter into a contract with New Zealand for the supply of 20,000 tons of dehydrated butter. The history of actual experimentation with this product is an interesting one. It seems that pure butterfat is butter with the moisture and other components removed, leaving only the fat. An average analysis of high-grade butter shows 82 per cent fat, I'6 per cent moisture, 11 per cent salt, and 1 per cent ash. Years of Experimenting Experiments in this process have been under way for some years, and Massey Agricultural College and the Department of Industrial Research have been collaborating with the Dairy Research Institute at Reading,

England. From this dehydrating, which is done by special machinery, comes a product which is whiter and denser than butter, and when put in sealed tins it can be carried as ordinary cargo. Only pure unsalted whey butter is used in the manufacture of dry butter-fat. The butter is melted over a jet of steam and the melted fat and condensed steam are run into a cylinder, which automatically separates the water that settles out by gravity’from the butter-fat-water solution. After then going through two cream separators, the material undergoes a final process of dehydration in a vacreator. It is then cooled and packed in large tins. Up to the present no information is available concerning’ the further treatment the fat receives to return it to the form of butter, but evidently the method employed has been as successful as the primary process in New Zealand, hence the proffer of the large contract from the British authorities. Dairy farmers, in these difficult days when lack of shipping threatens their industry, will be gladdened by the announcement. Dairy Company Comment

Asked to comment on the production of “dry butter/’ Mr C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, said that in 1924 his company manufactured substantial quantities of “dry abutter” at Frank-

ton. This was produced from unsalted butter by centrifugal separation by much the same methods, as at present being used and was exported in 4 gallon tinned cans. From 1929 onward “dry butter” in the form of ghee was given attention and shipments were made to India as late as 1935. This type of “dry butter” is different from the separator. product in that a slight cooked or caramel-like flavour is developed by submitting the butter to a cooking process. In both cases, however, curd and moisture are removed from the butter and a pure, clear fat or oil obtained which has an advantage over butter in that it keeps well without cool storage. At the same time it has practically all the food value associated with butter, a little over 41b of pure butterfat being equivalent to 51b of butter in food value.

Early in 1941, after discussions between members of the Dairy Research Institute and technical officers of his company regarding the production of pure butterfat for shipment to England, arrangements were made for a trial run at the Te Awamutu factory, said Mr Parlane. “Should the war last for a long period this product may be of great importance to the dairying industry. If it is to be produced in large quantities, obviously this should be done"'as near as possible to where the butter is manufactured, which would mean a considerable saving in labour, boxes paper and freight.” Purchase of Equipment Before the war the Dairy Research Institute was considering the idea of dehydrating butter to be sent to isolated markets as unrefrigerated cargo. Later, when it appeared that Britain might take supplies, further thought was given to the project ahd a satisfactory method of carrying out the work with the type of plant available was devised. The Government has agreed to the purchase of equipment which will enable all surplus whey butter and the very small quantity of second grade creamery butter made in New Zealand to be processed into dry butter-fat. Processing will be carried out at Massey Agricultural College and at a factory in the Auckland Freezing Company’s stores, controlled by the Internal Marketing Division.

Although the British demand for dry butter-fat may disappear after the war, it is considered possible that a market of value to New Zealand may toe developed, in other countries to which refrigerated ships do not rim.