STANDARDISED CHEESE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20870, 12 May 1931, Page 11

STANDARDISED CHEESE.

CRISIS IN" INDUSTRY. COMPLAINTS AT QUALITY* CHANGE IN POLICY URGED. MEETING WISHES OF TRADE. Tho need of a constructive policy aiming at placing the cheese-making industry upon a better basis is emphasised in the statement of tho Minister of the Hon. A. J. Murdoch, who has expressed the opinion that it has become a necessity to revert to the manufacture of full-cream cheese. A summary of the Minister's statement appeared in the Herald yesterday. '•'Ono of the main complaints levelled against New Zealand cheese is its lack of maturity," states the Minister. "Openness, again, is still troublesome and -the intensive research directed at finding tho cause and remedy has not yet resulted in tho desired end being attained, a fact not to be wondered at when the extreme difficulty of the task is realised. Latterly a good deal of trouble has arisen regarding the appearance of discoloured areas affecting both full cream and standardised cheese, the discolouration being apparently of three types, possibly due to three different causes. "It is noticeable that it is almost invariably coloured cheese that is affected, and some companies have adopted the immediate remedy of making white cheesa instead. The scientists at the Dairy Research Institute and those working in co-operation with them, are closely studying this, and important new knowledge indicating the manner in which the most common type, that known as 'muddy discolouration,' is caused, has lately come to light. All cheese-making companies have been advised regarding it and preventive measures recommended. 'Also, experimental work in the direction of elaborating these measures and making them more effective is in progress.

Need To Remedy Position. '-Altogether the cheese position is not satisfactory and it is necessary that all that section of the dairy industry which is interested in cheese manufacture should givo a close study to all the facts bearing upon it and take such practicable remedial measures as are possible to effect improvement. The department is doing its best in its advisory and instructional capacity and is anxious to do all it can. It has no desire to attempt to dictate to the industry in its business affairs—that is not its function—but I do feel that at the present time the industry needs to closely review the cheese position and to adopt a constructive policy aimed at placing it upon a better basis. This, I understand, is already contemplated, and no doubt it will be given full attention at the National Dairy Association's conference next month. " A very important matter connected with cheese quality and cheese marketing is bound up in the manufacture of socalled standardised cheese. The attempt to place this class of cheese permanently and successfully on the British market cannot bo said to have worked out satisfactorily, not because much of it was not of good quality, but mainly because, largely through the endeavour to obtain the maximum yield to the factory, a relatively small percentage of it was of such poor quality that it created a prejudice which extended to the whole.

Strong Prejudice Aroused. " The manufacture of standardised cheese was based on tho apparently reasonable proposition that good marketable cheese could"be made from the high-test-ing milk in North Island dairying districts if a percentage of fat were extracted and converted into butter, still leaving the cheese with an ample fat content. Experience, however, has shown that the great weight of opinion among buyers is opposed to this class of cheese and that weight of opinion must be regarded very seriously." After dealing with events leading up to the general manufacture of standardised cheese, which was first suggested in 1925, the Minister stated that a trial extending over portions of two seasons had shown that standardised cheese as then made was not acceptable to the trade as a whole, and that a strong prejudice had arisen against it. In September last, when the chairman of the Dairy Board returned from England, he, as the result of his experience there, definitely recommended that tho manufacture of standardised cheese should cease. Use of Cheddar Brand. Negotiations resulted in the establish-, ■ment of a new standard on the basis of a higher fat content. The new standard required 52 per cent, of fat in the dry matter up to the end of December, 53 per cent, from then to March 15, and 54 per cent, from then to the end of the season. The original standard required not less than 50 per cent, np to the end of February and 52 per cent, from then to the end of the season. It was also decided to adopt a new type of braud, and after much consideration and discussion it was decided to adopt the brand "N.Z. Cheddar," the cheese being definitely of the class known in New Zealand and all over the world as cheddar cheese. The designation raised further criticism in Great Britain oil account of it being applied to what had become known as standardised cheese, against which the prejudice continued, notwithstanding knowledge of the fact that every effortwas being made •to raise its quality. Much of it. at any rate, was very good, ard instances could be given where even highly skilled experts were unable to differentiate between it and first-class whole milk cheese. "It is evident that tho use of the brand ' Cheddar' will have to cease before the new season opens, and a position has been reached when a decisioD has to bo made whether the manufacture of whole milk (full cream) cheese, and of this only, shall be reverted to," concluded tho Minister. MAKERS NOT CONVINCED. OPINION IN THE WAIKATO. [FROM OT7R OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON. Monday. Commenting on the Government's decision, Mr. S. A. Ferguson, chairman of the South Auckland Dairy Association, said cheese-makers who made both standardised and full-cream products were convinced that the former product was in no way inferior to the latter. The main faults found in New Zealand cheese were just as pronounced in one as in the other. Mr. Ferguson said the whole matter would be discussed at the National Dairy Conference at New Plymouth next month, when the latest research reports on the subject from Massey College would be available. As yet there had been no evidence produced to convince cheese-makers in this country that the standardise pro duct was in any way inferior to full-cream cheese. .