USES FOR MILK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18066, 18 April 1933, Page 5

USES FOR MILK

INCREASING CONSUMPTION INTERESTING POSSIBILITIES . AID TO DAIRY INDUSTRY While the Dairy Board at its meeting last Thursday strongly reasserted its stand against the principle of any restrictions being placed upon free entry of New Zealand butter and cheese in Great Britain, there was some discussion of various suggestions made with the aim of increasing the consumption of dairy products in order to absorb the surplus that would arise in the event of circumstances forcing any restrictions. One of the most practical suggestions was that advanced by Mr. Aitken, a baker, of Portobello, Dunedin. Mr. Aitken set out that every week New Zealand used some 2000 short tons' of flour for breadmaking. If it were made compulsory by legislation for bakers to use full cream milk in the mixing of that flour, fiftyfifty with water, then a demand would be set up for four million gallons of full cream milk per year, equivalent to the consumption of 15,000 tons of butter. The bread so made would be of superior quality because of its constituent of milk and milk solids, and from the baking point of view would represent no disability, but would in effect represent a superior article with a thinner crust and more flavor than the ordinary bread made wholly with water. COST OF MILK ADDITION From the cost point of view, it was belioved that the millers could possibly be induced to stand an extra 10s per ton on flour toward the cost of using milk, and this would enable the extra cost on the 4lb loaf to be set at only one sd. This sum would mean approximately £1,250,000 to the dairy industry, while from the consumers’ point of view, tho extra cost would be fully justified in the extra quality of the bread produced and its healthgiving virtues, milk-made-bread being definitely more nutritious and healthy than water-made bread. The chairman, Mr. Dynes Fulton, emphasised further that much could be done by the promotion of a greater consumption of milk in the towns and cities of the Dominion. There was no Teason at all why the ordinary consumption of milk should not be doubled with initiative and organisation taking advantage of present lo v prices. That extra consumptku would not only help the fanner, but would add materially to tho health of the community, because there was bathing to excel milk as a vital and nutritious food.

Another suggestion made was that farmers themselves should save their calves and feed them for six weeks od. whole milk, and thus aim at the production of milk-fed six-weeks-old veal, for which there was believed to be a 'good export demand. CONSUMPTION OF CHEESE Another suggestion, from the lady editor of a country paper, was for an “Eat More Cheese’’ campaign. New Zealand now ate only some 3000 to 4000 tons of cheese annually out of a total make of 100,000 tons. The difficulty was to popularise cheese consumption in the Dominion, and make good quality cheese available to tho people. Consumption of cheese could bo promoted by the dissemination of bifitable recipes for cheese scones and pasties. The suggestion was made by the chairman of the board that the help of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Unuion and Women’s Institutes ■should be invoked to popularise the 'consumption of cheese. • It was decided to seek more information from the correspondent on the proposal for an “Eat More ■Cheese” campaign within the Do* minion. Owing to its constitution as an “export” board, tho_ Dairy Board is unable to apportion funds, for expenditure within the Dominion, but it was hoped some help could be criven the organisation of movements calculated to promote consumption of dairy products.