QUALITY OF CHEESE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 994, 10 June 1930, Page 11

QUALITY OF CHEESE

! MR. P. 0. VEALE’S DIAGNOSIS OF N.Z. TROUBLES | AGREEMENT IN TARANAKI Press Association HAWERA, Today. A conference of Taranaki cheese factory managers, held in committee, endorsed Mr. P. O. Veale’s diagnosis of the ills affecting cheese quality and supported the chief reforms he advocated in his recent report on openness in cheese. It was agreed that the chief causes of loss of quality were the abuse of standardisation, imparting too much moisture due to the “race for yield” and not devoting the requisite time to manufacture on account principally of the lateness of suppliers in delivering milk to the factories. The scientist's recommendation of the adoption of a premium for finest grade cheese was unanimously endorsed. It was emphasised that such a premium must be adequate so that it would be more profitable for a factory to strive for the finest grade and not to be content with a high yield. It was agreed that a universal and compulsory system of milk grading should be introduced, with differential payments to a supplier. It was agreed that no change was necessary in the hours of labour, as managers could make arrangements with their staffs and the hours could remain as at present, provided so long as the milk were delivered promptly and in good condition. The consensus of opinion in regard to waxing was that all the New Zealand cheese was too moist for waxing. It was further agreed that if the premium could not be established, waxing should be abolished. The provision of boiling water by the factory to the supplier was condemned utterly by the meeting. There was a mixed discussion on the subject of standardisation, tlie preponderance of opinion being that large proportions of skimmed milk affected the flavour detrimentally. On account of the difficulty of enforcing regulations limiting the percentage of skimmed milk, it was agreed that nothing could be done in this connection. The meeting agreed that lowtest milk should be encouraged by some new system of paj’ment based on fat and casein. These recommendations are to be referred to a conference of all Taranaki dairy directors on Friday, when efforts will be made to arrive at definite conclusions for submission to the Dominion Conference in Hamilton at the end oc the month.