QUALITY FOE BUTTER

Southland Times, Issue 20012, 28 October 1926, Page 2

QUALITY FOE BUTTER

MEASURES FOR IMPROVEMENT. REVIEW BY MR.. SINGLETON CREAM GRADING REGULATIONS EXPLANATION OF WORKING. “Not for decades has there been such a general disposition among dairymen to effect improvement in quality,” declared Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture, in addressing members of the Dairy Factory Managers’ Association. It was expected, Mr. Singleton said, that when cream grading became general and on a uniform basis throughout the Dominion there would be evidences of further improvement in butter. Dairy companies manufacturing both butter and cheese were anxious for improvement. The Dairy Produce Board very considerably stimulated this desire. The increasing number of competitors on the markets of the United Kingdom, and the plentiful supplies of butter and cheese placed on such markets, had made it more difficult to sell secondary qualities at a fair comparative value. New Zealand was already fortunate in that a comparatively large percentage of her butter and cheese was of good quality. The manifest tendency toward further improvement was, therefore, very praiseworthy. Although the proposed cream-grading regulations had not been gazetted he did not think it would be long before they would become law. Reasonable time would be allowed to the dairy companies to make the preparations necessary for giving effect to the requirements. THE METHOD OF PAYMENT. Mr. Singleton explained the details of the regulations. The arrangements for the differentiation of payments were approximately that payment to each supplier of wholemilk cream should be so made that the rate would be at least one halfpenny a pound of butter-fat more for cream graded as “finest” than for that graded as first grade, and at least one penny a pound of butter-fat for cream graded as second grade than for that graded as first grade. Why cream supplied to a whey factory would be graded as first or second grade and the price for second grade should be at least one penny a pound of butter-fat below the price for first grade. Payment for all cream testing less than 35 per cent, of fat, whether from whole milk or whey, should be so made that the rate would be at least one half-penny a pound of butterfat less than the rate which would be otherwise payable according to grade. THE QUALITIES OF CREAM. The setting of the standards in practice would be a matter between the cream grader, the factory manager and the butter instructor in the district. As a general guide as to what wpz intended it might be stated that the £nest cream would be-cream that was clean in -flavour was

uniform consistency and free from appreciable defects in other respects. “First grade” cream would be cream almost clean in flavour, of uniform consistency, and free from serious defects in other respects. “Second grade” cream would be of a quality below first grade, but yet suitable for the manufacture of butter for human consumption.

“The regulations are likely to make it an obligation on the owner to provide a certificated cream grader,” said Mr. Singleton. “I am of opinion, too, that the factory manager should also have a certificate.” These certificates would be granted only where both character and ability were considered satisfactory.