FOREIGN TIMBER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 110, 9 April 1926, Page 10

FOREIGN TIMBER.

USE IN BUTTER BOX MANUFACTURE. During tlio present and the preceding season quite a' number of New Zealand Dairy Companies liavo been using foreign timber for' packages fur export butter (writes Mr W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division, in the current issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture). Experiments and dairy company experience have proved.that butter held in many of these packages has turned out in a condition which raised no objection that has reachedius. Other experiments and consignments have been less fortunate, and far too many reports have been received from London indicating that New Zealand butters packed in such boxes have been adversely affected. In these instances the taint of the wood has been imparted to the butter ne.ct to the inside of the box, and, as the period of storage extends, the taint of the timber becomes more pronounced and permeates further into the block of butter. There have been instances where the taint, although detectable, has not caused commercial loss. Other cases have occurred where tho monetary loss has not been great, but in these instances it is doubtless the case that tho prestige of New Zealand butter has been prejudicially affected. Our latest advice is to the effect that one company's butter purchased by an overseas buyer has already caused a loss running into approximately £2OOO. One of tho butter boxes which contributed to this loss was returned to us from London. Tho timber of this box contained a number of pockets of resin which were so pronounced in odour that it was no wonder that tho butter had been badly tainted. One pocket, although barely discernible, and easily passed without notice, was found, when opened, to contain almost a tcaspoonful of such resin or gum. In view of the fact that there has been no particular kind of foreign timber used respecting which we h'avo not had complaint in connection with tainting, and recognising that tho qualities of such timber imported have not evidenced that uniformly satisfactory condition which is necessary to ensure invariably satisfactory delivery of our butter in Britain, dairy companies will bo well advised to givo the question of purchase of butter box material more serious consideration in future.