FORTUNES IN BAD BUTTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 8

FORTUNES IN BAD BUTTER.

Some astounding tricks of the London butter trade are revealed in the report of the committee appointed to consider the question of tlve tetter conduct and control of that industry. The committee report that certain firms are teaching factory occupiers how to adulterate butter with cotton seod oil and other fats not derived from milk. Mixtures of this character are contrary to the law, but they are so cunningly compounded that the analyst cannot generally certify that they could be classed as impure butter. A niort interesting witness on this point was Mr Reginald Butler, the managing director of the Wilts United Dairies, Devizes.

"We received a circular," he said, "marked 'private and confidential,' telling us that if we were careful m finding out volatile acids in butter, and followed a scale with which we would be supplied, it would be impossible to detect.

"On several occasions we were strongly pressed to use it, the firm informing us that one firm was making £20,000 a yea.r clear profit out of the use of the article, ajid that if we used it in our blending trade only we should make £5000 a year profit."

A clever adulterator in a dairy can, and does, declared Dr Bernard Dyer, defy all analytical skill. A constant duel is going on between him and the analyst, and when the- analyst discovers some new or expeditious way of detecting foreign fats, the adulterator promptly improves his process of adulteration to circumvent him.

No power at present exists to inspect these factories unless they use margarine ; and the committee consequently recommended that they should be liable to registration and inspection, and that no vegetable oils or any other possible adulterant should be brought into, stored, or allowed in any registered butter factory. They a'so propose that nothing shall be sold in the name of butter which contains more than 16 per cent, of moisture, and that the '' milk-blended butter " shall have a. limit of 24 per cent, of moisture, and shall be sold under a name aoproved by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, such nanio not to be calculated to prejudice the sale of the article.

With regard to margarine, they propose that the wrappers shall bear nothing but the- word "Margarine" in black, solid capita! letter?, not less than half an inch square. " Churno " and "'Buttapat" were mentioned in the evidence. Practical steps to bring about international agreements as to the nrcvention of adulteration are recommended.