STANDARDISED CHEESE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1929, Page 6

STANDARDISED CHEESE

DISCUSSION OF REGULATIONS

MOTION FOR POSTPONEMENT LOST

DAIRY FEDERATION MEETING.

The defeat of a resolution urging upon the Government the postponement of the new regulations requiring cheese to be branded “full cream” or “part skimmed ' was the-result of two hours’ discussion by 75 delegates of the Federation of Taranaki Dairy Companies at Hawera yesterday. The resolution was declared lost upon the voices. It was moved by Air. J. O'Shea and seconded by Air. A. Pearce. . _ The position was reviewed py Mr. T. A. Winks, chairman. The federation had called a conference of dairy industry representatives to discuss the problem of the high butter fat content of cheese, especially in the autumn months, with a view to evolving a practical, scheme of pay-out on high and low-testing milk for cheese-making. ~ The Dairy Division of the Agricultural Department had had no option, said Mr. Winks, but to provide for labelling because of the passing of the Pure hoods and Drugs Act in Britain in 1928. Under that Act importation of produce ■would be prohibited unless true to label.. If, it had been, interfered with by skimming “"starter” milk that fact must be notified. If it was “full cream” the label said so. The trouble had been that the practice of over-skimming the “starter had been going on. Skimming up to 24 per cent, had/ been allowed but all knew it had been abused. The federation delegates had agreed, when Air. Singleton put that aspect of the case before the conference, that, it was in the -interests of the federation and the industry to agree to the proposed regulations. They had backed up Air. Singleton. The only mistake was that the regulations had been brought in too hastily at a time when holidays intervened.

STANDARDISING OPTION A L

Most directors were away and there had been no chance to secure necessary equipment, allow the managers to become licensed and comply otherwise with the change. It had been agreed that, in the meantime, Mr. Veal’s analyses as to fat content of cheese would be accepted by the department. That overcame inconvenience in the south but in North Taranaki Mr. Veale rould not help. Managers preferred to do their own grading. It might be necessary to engage a man to hblp Mr. Veale at the laboratol7* % No one was compelled to standardise. If skimming wore done it must be notified and the' factory registered. That was all. The Control Board was. quite sympathetic and endorsed the principle of the regulations. It had instructed the Homo manager to assist by proper publicity of the guaranteed fat content .and was out to assist in every way possible. If skimming were started there would be trouble in the camp, complained Mr. Pearce, Kakaramea. Competitors would use it as propaganda. So long as the factories'had adhered to skimming per cent, all would have been well, said the chairman in reply to . a question. Abuse had done the harm. Tho British food regulations made the New Zealand regulations imperative. # Don't you believe you arc encouraging skimming by haying the regulations? asked a delegate. It would be legal and managers could do it without fear, said the chairman.

Complaint that the executive had exceeded its powers was made by Mr. Rundle. The trouble was the regulations were law to-day. The delegates did not make'them Jaw. said the chairman. It had been agreed to be for the best.

ENFORCEMENT TOO HASTY.

Experiments should have been made before enforcing the change, said Mr. Richardson, Mells, who protested against the time the regulations had become law.

The standardisation principle had been tried out for two (years at Longburn and at Massey College, said the chairman. It had been well tried out.

Conflict existed between the principle of the regulations and' the conclusions of Mr. P. 0. Vcale’s investigations, said Mr. Muggeridge. A meeting should have been called, considered Mr. Burkett. Then the regulations might have had the support of the industry. The executive had made a mistake in not putting the matter before the members. Too much had been given the Press that did not help the industry. The executive had intended to come back but at the conference its hands had been tied, said the chairman. The circular to members had been all it could do.

Some high-handed action had taken by some one, claimed Air. Muggeridge, if the executive had intended to go back to the members. The Dairy Division evidently "ran” the industry.. No food was allowed to enter Britain if interfered with, said Air. Corrigan. The Dairy Division was responsible. The Government could not be expected to pass an article not true to label. Lots of South Taranaki cheese had been skimmed on "rafferty rules” and the cheese was being carried on the backs of the good full cream cheeses, said Air. Corrigan. After skimming illicitly the factories protested when required to brand cheeses. (Applause and protest.) DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED. Selling wine under a false label had drawn a 1100 fine in London, remarked Air. J. B. Richards, Stratford. Wine was not so essential as cheese and it was questionable what might happen if cheese should be found not true to label. All the country was concerned and if disapproval of the New Zealand grading certificates were to be incurred it would be disastrous. Dishonesty was not wanted in the industry and the "last penny” was not to be sought by illicit mean. The word "guaranteed” should have been used instead of "part skimmed,” considered Mr. Richards. "Guaranteed to contain 50 per eent. fat in the dry matter.” The whole apprehension seemed to be to know whether it was possible to secure a market price for standardised cheese to allow it to be made in quantity. The grading notes should be amended in the certificate with a view to removing any doubts of buyers, thought Air. Douglas, Alangatoki. English cheddar cheese commanded 18s more than others yet the milk product

was skimmed on the farms, said Air. Taylor, Ngaere. The fat limit in cheese had been lower than 50 per cent., the legal New Zealand limit, in many full cream cheeses, said Mr. Richards. Canada’s 45 per cent, limit may have been made so that the test never fell below’ it. As long as cheese had 50 per cent, fat all was “0.k.,” claimed Mr. P. Sheehan, Mcremere, who asked if any case was on record of New Zealand cnecse having been below 50 per cent. No, replied the chairman.

PAY-OUT BASES’ SOLUTION.

Son’--* solution was hoped for upon a fat-ca ii content, said Air., Corrigan. If each supplier could be paid for fat and casein delivered at the factory all would be well. The committee set up would shortly be reporting. “Full cream” cheese possessed only 4o per cent, of fat at times while “skimmed” cheese had 50 per cent. Could the graders a,t tho other end tell which was the Hill cream cheese? asked Mr. Snowden. , , , Public analysts could not determine ■which cheese was full cream and which was skimmed, said Air. P. O. Veale, dairy scientist. No analyst would be “game” to say which was which unless the fat content fell below 40 per cent. Nowhere in the world was such lich milk to be secured as in New Zealand, said Air. Veale, and for that reason it seemed desirable to skim. He had been examining standardised cheeses lately for regulation purpose?. The majority were 54 per cent, fat in dry matter. With lamb, -mutton or even goat no procesl of analyses would be of use. It was the guarantee here which counted, said Air. Richards. Tho delegation had feared prosecution yet there was no risk, said Mr. Aluggeridge. “Would you be satisfied to brand your cheese “’full cream” knowing it was 'skimmed?’ I wouldn’t,” said the chairman.

SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS.

Little notice was taken of difference in fat content, said Air. Veale, providing the flavour, body and texture were good. When cheese had not been labelled at Longburn.one could tell no difference. Sir Thomas Clements could not say why the price of lower fat content cheese had been better at times than the high fat content article. Could two cheese be taken from the same vat and show different results? asked Air. A. Lees, Okaiawa. A variation could be found of up to one per cent., replied Air. AlcKenzie. That was tho reason the factories should not try to get too close to the legal limit of fat, said Air. Lees. A high margin should be • maintained to protect factory managers. Robbery , had not taken place to anything like the extent mentioned, said Air. O'Shea. Sir Thomas Clements had said New Zealand cheese was deteriorating. It was all a storm and a reflection on managers and graders. He moved that the regulations be postponed in their enforcement until August 1 next. Air. A. Pearce, Kakaramea, seconded. A danger to whey butter’s future was feared by Air. Taylor, Ngaere. The r - gulations looked like the thin edge of the wedge. The Dairy Division had not been frank enough. It could have got an undertaking from the directors of every factory.

NO DANGER FOR WHEY BUTTER

When whey butter could be produced to bring ISOs 6d at Home, the Government would not step in, eaid Mr. Corrigan. The regulations at the other end were the trouble. Standardised - cheese could be made superior to whole cream cheese. (Hear! Hear!). “But you must , persuade Tooley Street of that,” said Mr. Snowden. “Yes, wo will do it, too,” said Mr. Corrigan. “I told Sir Thomas Clements that. He had tasted two cheeses. He tasted one whole made in August and one heavily skimmed made last May. He said as long as cheese like the May make went on the market all would be ‘O.K.’ ”

A Voice: Oh, he is a good “kidder” you know. ’ (Laughter.) If the resolution were passed, said a member, it was to fly in the face of a resolution which neither the federation nor the Government could do anything to overcome.

Competitors would use the branding system as propaganda, complained Mr. Snowden. How did the federation know till it was tried? asked the chairman.

Openness of 1 cheese has been the trouble for two or three years, said Mr. Corrigan. The only way to find out was to try it out, claimed Mr. A. Lees. It seemed to him quality was slipping. Factories had been monkeying with the cheddar cheese system for the past ten years and doing it badly. It was no good blowing hot and cold, said Mr. W. McDonald, Kaupokonui. The Dairy Division had done the best thing. If the gate were left open the whole team would be driven through.