CASEIN EXTRACTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 2

CASEIN EXTRACTION

DAIRYMEN IN DOUBT Representatives of the Wanganui Dairy Company, which has secured the New Zealand rights of a process for the extraction of casein from skim milk, liavo been in attendance at the annual meetings of the Midhirst and Stratford companies, and offers were submitted for the erection of a factory for tho purpose of carrying on the industry. After discussion both companies decided not to accept tho proposal. Most of tho suppliers thought that the skim milk was more valuable to them for feeding calves and pigs, which would show a better return than the lsd offered by the company. As a set off against this it was explained that casein whey, which would be a return product, is slightly richer than cheese whey, and is claimed to contain 75 per cent, of the strength of skim milk. In reply to a question, Mr Hoist, ons of the Wanganui representatives, said there were several rumours regarding tho company which ho desired to refute. One rnmour was that prussic acid was used in precipitation. Prussic acid was not used. In fact, tho company had adopted the only process of precipitation |in which no poisonous matter was used. The milk sugar left in tho skim milk and a proteid matter wouid bo added to make up for the bone-forming matter extracted. The percentage of casein in skim milk was roughiy 3 per cent.—about three times too much for the calves and pigs to digest. The schemo submitted at present was merely in a rough 6tato, and a large amount of detail work would havo to be done later on. The whey which tho company produced did not contain any acidity—in this respect it was better than cheese whey, it had never been produced in Australasia, and 60 he could not say exactly what its ■effect on calves would be. lie did not believe in putting whey in cans in which new milk was carried, but he saw no reason why, with proper care, tho same cans could not be used. In a number of districts a penny was regarded as fully covering the difference between skim milk and cheese whey.