GRADING OF MILK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 7

GRADING OF MILK

CURD TEST ADVANTAGES I REGULATIONS TO STAND !- ■ • i Speaking in the Hobse of Representa I tives on Thursday, the Minister of Agri ' culture, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, sail he was aware there was a difference o opinion regarding the New Zealand sys tem of milk grading, but a very carefu investigation had been made by the dc partment's scientists before it was de cided to make the curd test the officia test. While in no way deprecating th merits possessed by the test generally termed the microscopic count test, or th higher scientific knowledge needed fo carrying it out efficiently, continued Mr Macmillan, the conclusion had bee reached that for the particular purpos in view the curd test was distinctly pre ferable. Curd testing to discriminate betwee good and bad milks for cheesemakitig hai been a regular feature of cheese factor; practice for years, and had proved ver valuable in factory management. In it modified form it could rapidly and pre perly be carried out by sny cheese fac tory manager, and did not require_ th employment of specially trained persons a requisite so far as the microscopic tes was concerned. "No one desires to belittle in th slightest degree the value of scientifi methods," said the Minister, "but it i necessary that in this matter of nil grading the method used be that bes adapted to securing a milk supply v.hic will produce high quality cheese, nud.fc this purpose the cm-d test is considere to be the best, and, moreover, it. can b regarded as being in its own way quite scientific method. "Such sweeping criticism as is cor tained in the statement that this test ha been 'dug out of the attic of obsolet science' does not constiiute argument but can easily create an entirely wron impression. Only recently, after thre years of experiment, two German sder lists of good standing pronounced def nitely in its favour, and other author ties "also hold it in high repute." Mr. Macmillan added that it was nc intended to modify the present reguls tions, but it was desired to secure hai monious working, and he would do wha was possible to bring this about.