“STANDARDISED” CHEESE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1077, 15 September 1930, Page 11

“STANDARDISED” CHEESE

NO CHANGE IN AUCKLAND “NOT WANTED AT HOME” In spite of the criticism which has been levelled at the policy of manufacturing “ standardised ” cheese for export, there does not seem to be any immediate move * being made by individual factories j of the Auckland Province to dis- | continue the practice. Discussing the position with a Sun man this morning, Mr. 3d. Woods, chief grader at the port of Auckland, said that as far as his department wgus aware there had been no big breakaway so far tiiis season from the policy of manufacturing standardised clieeso by factories operating in the Auckland Province. Mr. Woods was not prepared to say much on the question for publication, but stated that in all probability much useful information relative to the reception New Zealand cheese was getting at Home would come out of the Factory Managers’ Conference to be held iii Auckland next Thursday. Mr. A. C. Ross, who has represented the Department of Agriculture in Great Britain for the last live years., will address the conference. ENGLISH MERCHANTS’ VIEWS While on the question of “standardisation” a review published by the English “Grocer” is interesting. “During the 3 929-30 season a good deal of criticism has been made of the quality of New Zealand cheese, which it is freely asserted, is not so good now ! as was the case during the two or three years previously,” states the j •Grocer.” “It is questioned whether the quality of New Zealand cheese during recent years lias been equal j to the standard which came in the s earlier days of the industry. Views as to the. deterioration are so widely bejel that it can be considered that the article, as such, is not giving satisfaction, though no doubt when this fact is made known to the manufacturers in New Zealand they will seek immediately to remedy the shortcomings. Apart from the general criticism of looseness of texture and lack of flavour, there is a growing resentment at the type known as ‘standardised’ cheese. When the ‘standardised’ cheese was introduced to the market traders generally were inclined to try it before criticising it, despite the fact that they viewed it with a certain amount of suspicion. On making inquiries as to the meaning of the term ‘standardised’ cheese, they were not altogether surprised to know that the cheese was. in fact, made from skimmed milk, and on that account could not be described as Tull cream’ cheese. NOT A NOVELTY “Skimmed cheese is no novelty in the trade, and. indeed, used to come in large quantities from the United States of America many years ago; but it would scarcely be fair to compare the New Zealand ‘standardised’ cheese with the type of cheese generally known in the trade as ‘skimmed cheese.’ So long. however, as the cheese is not ‘full cream,’ there is an undoubted prejudice against it, and as time goes on this prejudice will surely increase rather than diminish. Those also who have handled the ‘standardised’ cheese assert that, apart altogether from prejudice, the article does not meet with favour, and on account of the large proportion of New Zealand cheese now coining forward under the ‘standardised* heading. the prejudice is such as to affect the whole of the New Zealand cheese as an article of food. “Traders assert that the inferior quality has already reflected itself in the market price to be obtained, when compared with the price of its competitor, Canadian full-cream cheese, and unless New Zealand cheese improves the gap may be so widened as to make New Zealand cheese rank as an altogether secondary article. In view of the decline in the quantity of Canadian cheese imported into the United Kingdom during recent years, there would seem to be a better opening than ever for an imported cheese of the highest class. We would therefore urge New Zealand dairy farmers to take advantage of the opportunity which now presents itself and, by improving the quality of their produce, to gain tho higher price. It is not too much to say that the trade in England would welcome the abandonment of ‘standardised’ cheese and a return to nothing but the ‘full cream' variety.”