QUALITY OF BUTTER

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6918, 25 May 1929, Page 4

QUALITY OF BUTTER

Reassuring Statements

At the 'beginning of the dairy season now drawing to a close, some leading English importers, notably Sir Samuel Clements, declared that the quality of New Zealand butter was not being maintained. It is comforting to hear from Mr C. J. Pollard, another' representative London importer, says the Waikato Times, that this country’s product has at least not lost its good name. In fact, it is equal to the best in the world —not inferior even to Danish. Welcome as this statement is, it should not be allowed to diminish the zeal with which representatives of tho industry havo been pressing for every possible measure for improvement in quality. It is no easy task for producers here, at a distance of 13,000 miles, to put their butter in the homes of tho people of Britain in as palatable a state as that of their home supply. The Danish butter, placed on the British market within 24 hours of manufacture, must be counted as homo supply. Mr Pollard assures us that New Zealand butter, when it arrives in England, is equal even to Danish, but producers cannot ignore the fact that other authorities havo declared otherwise, stating in effect that, in ensuring freshness, our factories havo sacrificed something of tho natural flavour. The producers have become convinced that an improvement could be brought about by strict grading of the separated cream received from tho farmors, and it has been suggested that tho grading should be in the hands of government testers rather than employees of the companies. In their eagerness to obtain large supplies and so increase their business, competing companies are tempted to accept as first grade or superfine cream which should be relegated to a lower rating. A government official could bo looked to to grado tho cream without fear or favour. Moreover, the grading officer ought to cooperate with the dairy instructors so that they might give helpful advice to those farmers whoso product was falling below the desirable quality. With strict grading farmers who tried to keep their product really superfino would have tho advantage. At present they sometimes suffer because of the tendency of less careful men to take cream from boastings in the early season and in other ways to allow the cream to becomo unsound. When tho quality of a make of butter is affected by the inclusion of such cream from a few suppliers, companies may find it impossible to pay tho best price for cream that really comes up to a higher standard. Everything is to be gained by a true grading of all cream. It is encouraging to learn from such an authority «as Mr Pollard that our butter is so good and so highly regarded. It i 3 encouraging also to recollect that it can be made still better.

In regard to cheese, Mr Pollard repeats the criticisms that have already been made freely. In this respect also a stricter inspection and grading of tho supply of milk rvould bo helpful. But it seems that much research rrork is required to attain the highest possible quality in our export cheese.