DAIRY CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20958, 22 February 1930, Page 14

DAIRY CONFERENCE

MANUFACTURE OF CHEESE. PROBLEMS FOR CONSIDERATION. STANDARDISED ARTICLE FAVOURED. (Pee United Peess Association.) PALMERSTON N,, February 21. One of tbe most important conferences ever held in New Zealand in connection with the cheese industry took place today when, after four hours’ discussion upon standardised and modified manufactures, it was decided, with small opposition, that the policy of the industry shall be to aim at'standardised cheese, equal in quality to full cream cheese, from milk from lower testing breeds. The conference is- probably the most representative meeting of its .kind ever held in New Zealand,- delegates being present from 85 North Island cheese companies, while Mr John Smith, of Wyndham (Southland), represented 60 to 70 cheese factories of the South Island. Mr Singleton (director of the Dairy Division) and Mr E.Gwilliam (assistant director) were also present. Mr A. Morton (president of the National Dairy Association) presided. He explained .that the meeting held relation to two remits brought forward at Whangarei in June, but which were deferred pending the return of Mr Singleton from liis trip abroad. 1 The remits were: (a) that the fat content be stamped on every crate of cheese by the dairy produce graders,, that the words “standardised and modified” be eliminated front the Dairy Act and cheese sold on its' merits, or in other words on its fat content; (b) that cheese made during the months of March to July inclusive, containing under 52 per cent., but not less than 50 per cent, fat in the dry matter be allowed to be exported under the standardised brand as still in accordance with the brand on the crate, but that it may be graded second grade if the department considers the quality likely to be lowered by the difference in faj; content. Mr Singleton, addressing the meeting, stated that the second remit, if carried and converted into a regulation, meant the deletion of the standard 60 per cent. Under present conditions one-third of the cheese made full cream. Once the percentage of fat was reduced the door was opened wider for they use of skim milk. Standardised cheese had not yet the test of time. There had been difficulty in keeping some- factories up to the level required. , r Standardised cheese experiments being conducted at Longbum showed the varying "minimum of fat requirements for different periods of the year. If they were going to change the regulations lie was of opinion that it should be in the direction of increasing the percentage''for certain P® r , l0 j cl3 . of the year. Mr Singleton added that they did not want diversity of brands, as it would produce chaos a? the Dairy Board and the Dairy Division definitely opposed the export of modified cheese.

It was decided that voting be on the basis of one vote to each factory. After a discussion the remits were lost.

A suggestion that the fat content be 60 per cent, throughout the year was also voted out, along with a motion that est grade be re-established. Mr Singleton pointed out that experiments had proved that the addition of large quantities of skim milk had resulted. in pasty and sticky cheese As regards modified cheese, it would be 80,000 t 0 aII ° W 260 tons to prejudice

_Mr Riddet (Massey College) and Mr .(Hawera Laboratory) pointed out that the use of too much skim milk affected the flavour of cheese. Anv attempt made to lower the standard would seriously affect the industry.