DAIRY INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 246, 14 September 1935, Page 14

DAIRY INDUSTRY

THE AMENDING REGULATIONS.

The amending regulations which, have been issued under the Dairy Industry Act, 1908, and which became effective from yesterday, have been framed to improve the quality of New Zealand butter and cheese, and deal in the main with the conditions under which the raw product is handled, the waxing of cheese, and the specifications of boxes used for export butter.

At present the term “private dairy” is not defined for the purposes of the regulations, but premises not sufficiently equipped with appliances, drainage, etc., to'justify registration as a creamery or a cheese factory may be registered as a private dairy. Supplies of milk or cream, for any registered private dairy may be drawn from any farm dairy in competition with owners of creameries and cheese factories since the restrictions on the transfer of supply do not apply to private dairies. It is proposed, therefore, to restrict the operations of a i>rivato dairy to the supply of milk or cream produced from cows depastured on the farm dairy, the average number of which in any month does not exceed 50.

With regard to milking-machines installed on farm dairies, it is proposed that the connections to the vacuum tank from the vacuum pump, releaser, etc., shall be fitted with approved unions so as to permit the connections to bo readily dismantled. The present requirement that an officer ot the Dairy Division must be notified in all cases where a new or a used milkingmachine is intended to ba erected or re-erected on a farm dairy is proposed to be extended to include the erection or re-erection of a vacuum pump or a milking-machine engine. CONTROL ON FARMS.

The present provisions with regard to the arrangement and design of the separator-room and engine-room on tho farm dairy, where both rooms are under the same root, are proposed to be modified to permit the walled passage between the two rooms to contain openings only of such sizes as are necessary to provide for the transmission of motive power by belt where a belt passes from the engine in the engine-room to a vacuum pump or a counter shaft placed in the releaserrooin. In addition it is proposed that the floor of the milking shed, yards and exists shall bo made of concrete or other material impervious to moisture, and that where skim-milk is delivered from the separator into a pipe connected with a skim-milk pump, the pipe must be of tinned brass and provided with a union at the skim-milk pump so as to permit the pipe and pump to ho readily taken apart and cleansed.

It is an offence now to add cream to milk delivered to a cheese factory for manufacture into cheese, without tho previous consent in writing of the owner of the cheese factory. It is proposed to extend this provision to include the addition of any skimmed or partly skimmed milk to milk intended for delivery to any manufacturing dairy.

GRADING OF MILK. A present, where milk is not being graded daily, and on grading day second grade is assigned to any supplier's milk, all milk irom that supplier must be graded each day thereafter until it is. found to be of a quality which would entitle it to be graded first grade. The principle of following up the known second grade milk is not being carried out in practive, and it is therefore proposed to delete this optional provision. In order that inspectors may know the days on which milk is being graded at any creamery, cheese factory or skimming station, and the grade assigned to any milk received from a supplier, a proposed new clause requires the owner of such dairy to indicate the grading day by means of the word “graded” and the grade assigned to the milk by the letter “X” in the cast of “finest,” and the lettei “S” in the case of “second grade,” written or stamped on the sheet or docket on which the weight of milk received from the supplier on that day is recorded. If the sheet or docket contains separate columns bearing the words “finest,” “first” and “second grade,” it will not be necessary to indicate the grade by the letter “X” or the letter “8” as the case may be. In view of the proposal to delete the provision in the principal regulations requiring the known second grade milk to he followed up and graded daily until it is of the standard of quality prescribed for first grade milk, it is proposed that where milk is not being graded daily payment for the whole of the supply during any partmonthly testing period is to be made on the" basis of gradings only instead of on grades assigned and quantities to which each respective grade was assigned as at present. Thus, for example, if milk is graded three times during any part-monthly testing period, and first grade is assigned on one occasion and second grade is assigned on the other/occasions, one-third of the supply for the period will be paid for at the rate payable for first grade milk and the balance of the supply at the rate payable for second grade milk. It is proposed that for the present season the period of restriction on the transfer of supply in the South Island shall commence on October 1 next and end on June 30, 1936, and that the free months in the South Island thereafter shall be July and August, instead of September and October, as at present. WAXING OF CHEESE.

Two new clauses relate to waxing of cheese. It is proposed that the plant used for the waxing of cheese must not be erected in the curing-room or the packing-room of the cheese factory, but must be housed in a separate loom. If a door is provided from the packing-room or curing-room to tjic-waxing-room, the door must be airtight and if the curing-room or pack-ing-room, as the case may be, is insulated, the door to the waxing-room must he insulated with not less than two inches of cork board or its equivalent. No cheese shall be waxed which lias developed acidity to a marked degree, or shows excessive weakness in acidity or any mould growth on the rinds. Under another clause no such cheese, if waxed, shall be exported to the United Kingdom. ' There is a verbal amendment to make dearer the intention of the clause in relation to the branding of packages of butter or cheese to indicate whether the butter or cheese was obtained from the fivst, second or other specified churning or vat of the dav of its manufacture. EXPORT BUTTER BONUS. If our amending clauses relate to the specifications in respect of export butter boxes. With a view to eliminating mould growth on butter boxes it is proposed to prohibit the. use of rotarycut timber for the manufacture of butter boxes. The timber to be used must be sawn timber and the ends of all boxes must be planed smooth on both, sides. I lie thickness of boards ' for the standard box, the sub-standard metal-bound box and the saranac box are to be of the dimensions at present , prescribed m “dry finished thickness.” The boards for the top and bottom of tlie sub-standard metal-bound box are to be increased from 10J inches to

11 inches in width. The top and bottom hoards of the box are to be nailed to the sides by at least two nails per nailing edge evenly spaced between the metal bindings on the box. The thickness of the boards tor the caranac box must be not less than \ inch instead of £ inch as at present. Both side edges of each top and bottom board of such box instead of one side edge only as at present must completely cover the side edges of the adjoining side boards. The end boards of the box are to be affixed by not less than four instead of three nails as at present. It, is proposed that the timber to be used in the manufacture of cheese crates shall be ol such species as are approved by the director of the dairy division. STORE TEMPERATURES. At the present time cheese in grading stores must be held and delivered at the following temperatures which vary according to the time of delivery from the store: (a) If delivered between August 1 and November 30, not less than 52 degrees or more than 54 degrees Eahr.; (t>) it delivered between December 1 and February 28, not less than 47 degrees, oi more than 40 degress Eahr.; (c) if delivered between March 1 and July 31, not less than 42 degrees or more than 44 degrees Eahr. 11 is proposed that cheese delivered into a grading store on or alter August 1, and beiore December 31, must be held at a temperature of not less than 47 degrees, or more than 49 degrees, if delivered from the store on or before December 31, and at not less than 42 degrees or more than 44 degrees if delivered from the store after December 31. Cheese delivered into a grading store on or after January 1, and before August 1, must be held at a temperature of not less than 42 degrees or more than 44 degrees until delivered from the store. At the present time the grader’s ceitificate must be sent lo the owner of the butter or cheese. Where at the time of grading the owner of the butter or cheese is not also the manufacturer of the produce it is proposed that tlie grader’s certificate shall be sent to both parties. At the present time when any butter or cheese is removed from a grad-ing-store and is not intended to be exported the grade mark must be cancelled by a stamp bearing the words “not for export.” Some butter or cheese with the grade mark so cancelled lias been unlawfully exported to tlie United Kingdom and' lias caused embarrassment in the trade there by reason of the words “not for export” appearing on tlie packages. It is therefore proposed that these words he replaced by the word “cancelled.”