PARAFFIN WAXING OF CHEESE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14457, 25 February 1909, Page 2

PARAFFIN WAXING OF CHEESE

INTERVIEW WITH DAIRY COMMISSIDXKR. A few days ago a Times reporter had an interview with Mr 1). Cuddie Government Dairy Commissioner, who has been spending a (lay or wo- in Dunedin, on the subject of parallin-waxing of chceso, e::purijnents in which have reeei-.tlv been jna.de at the F&lortdale Dairy laetory. "The coating of ckce.-e' willi paraffin," said Mr Cuddie, "is no new idea. The practice was adoplwl come vears ago in Canada and H iv > United Slates of Atm-Hca. At the outset fhore was a great deal of i opposition from a section of the trade on the London market against, this process, •but this was to tame extent due to the fact that the quotation was not carried out awell as might Ih> desired, in addition to its li-eing a change from the old order of tilings, which in ii«-lf very often gives rise to prejudices. Aijain, the appearand of the cheese was dightly altered, and this was another factor in the set-ting up of the opposition. It was alto said that the cke=i> shrank a good deal more after being cut up on lhe cmmler, but it was discovered later on that this was due to i-lu C'IIUMS being treated at too early a stage. .Now, however, aii these prejudices have been overcome., and to-tlav there are h'mdreds of ilioii-im-ls of cheeses which have been coated with paraflin-wax reaching the Uritish market from Canada. Tk? work is done on a systematic basis, and in tho case of coloured cheese a little colouring _Ls added to the wax before it is applied to the oltecsc, thus giving the ottt-Bi-.te a liitural appearance. It would, of course, to quite a mistake for Xew Zealand cheese factories to go in for the paraffm-waxing of largo' quantities of checie all at once. But that is not likely ("> occur. What we are more anxious to do is to introduce ibe system gradually and to obtain the (million of the Loudon markci as to the measure of success lx>iu" achieved. 3

" 1 do no; I elievo in the principle of wailing until f nmething of lilts nature is asiod for, as il is a mistake to slick to iho old order of things simply ljceaitso no change is demanded bv Ihe'initio. If that course wore lo he followed little progress would Ix: nimli*. The saving in shriuka-e m New Zealand cheese will not lie so Steal as that iu cheese imi in tie Uoiniiuou of Canada, owing to the fact that our alino-ipherie touiperalures are much lower. At the same time I feel that the saving in shrinkage will K> sulucieni to pay tlvnc who can >co iheir wav to adopt paraffin-waxing iu tho Mure. The actual cost when done on a. largo seaie iu other countries only amounts to Id per cheese, and we can hardly oxucvt to do it ar a less price in Xcw Zealand. It should not cost mow than lid per cheese when done on systematic lines. When paraffining was first introduced the mjbtake was made of not allowing the rinds of the cheese to become thoroughly dry. and tho result was disappointment, Xo cliec-se should he Iroafod before i; is at least 10 tlavs old. and grout care should 1)3 taken to have tho wax at a sufficienlly high temperature to ensure ih r cheese receiving onlv a inm tutting. .Not mere than 'to Jf wax should adhere to anv one cheese after dipping The Ksuiis of the experiments which have, been undo at Ihe Edandalo factory" concluded .\; : Cuddie, "will bj awaited with jitcrost."