CHEESE SEEN IN LONDON

Taranaki Daily News, 26 February 1931, Page 16

CHEESE SEEN IN LONDON

THE DOMINION’S DECLINE . - ■- . ..

INSPECTOR'S VIEWS ON DEFECTS.

DECIDED IMPROVEMENT OF LATE.

‘'The dairy producer of New Zealand appears to be concerned most of all with the market price he is to receive for his produce. Therefore his chief intere-.t seems concentrated on the weekly market quotations as received from London.” With these words Mr. A. C. Ross, dairy instructor, Hawera, opened an address to Taranaki factory managers at Patea yesterday. “Why London?” Mr. Ross asked. His reply was, “Because London is the recognised centre of the world’s markets for dairy produce.” My term of 4J years there as inspector of New Zealand produce (Mr. Ross went on to say) gave me an opportunity that very few in the dairy business have had; the privilege of seeing our dairy produce as it landed in Great Britain, and following it through the various channels right to the retail trade. In that time 1 saw many factors that cropped up, and which had certain effects on the sale of our produce, and the majority of the faults seen could have been well avoided at this side of the world.

A great deal of time was devoted to the examination of cheese after its discharge into the cold stores at London bridge and Surrey docks. Here we were able to see large quantities of our cheese, after it had been sorted to brands. Examinations were made also of most of the shipments discharged at Avomnouth, Liverpool and Glasgow docks. Numerous examinations were also made of cheese at the various importers’ ' warehouses in the large distributing • centres of’ Great Britain. Our principal examinations of butter were made in the warehouses, and at the same time the quality was discussed with the principals and salesmen of those firms. Here, too, at various times, we were privileged to examine dairy produce from other countries. INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS. Visits were made to wholesale distributing and retail merchants and grocers in the 'United: ’Kingdom. Many of these-visits were by request. During such visits complaints were investigated, and every endeavour made to satisfy merchants and retailers concerning their complaints, so that they would still continue the handling of New Zealand produce. A great amount of this work Jias been done for the good of New Zealand — a fact which is not fully realised here. New Zealand -contributes the largest percentage of cheese imported into Great Britain so that our cheddai’ cheese is tne chief cheddar sold by quantity in the retail shops. Canadian ■ and’English occupy second and third place respectively, more especially in the London area. Our best quality cheese lias always been outstanding and gives satisfaction, and often commands a premium in price. In the past New Zealand cheese has been considered of a remarkably uniform average quality, being mild and clean of flavour. But the most frequent complaint against it was its loose and open texture, which was regarded as unattractive—liable to -break up when cut and to dry out very quickly. Merchants have complained that there has been a gradual slipping back in quality for some time and especially during the past two seasons. This was noticeable in a number of the brands of Taranaki cheese; in fact, it was quite a by-word on the markets, “more of that Taranaki poor quality,” and sometimes the remarks made—well, they were not suitable to go on paper. POOR QUALITY STANDARDISED.On the arrival of the spring made cheese of 1929-30 season, and its delivery to the trade, trouble was at once experienced with some of the brands that were of poor quality, the majority of these being standardised. On examination these brands were found to be showing weak, pasty and doughy bodies and very loose and open texture, and some fermentation and sweet holes, and in some instances after being cut and exposed, to the air they turned sour and vinegary in flavour, and at once became a serious loss to the retailers handling them. This at once brought about a certain prejudice against standardised cheese, which forced some retailers to go on to Canadian cheese to try and save their cheese trade. Those factories which neglected to make the best quality are responsible for the prejudice, and for some of the lowering of the market values of New Zealand cheese on the British markets last season.

The presentation of an attractive and neatly finished cheese always impresses the buyers favourably and facilitates the sale of that brand of cheese, whereas careless finish becomes a factor in lowering values. COMMENTS ON CARELESSNESS. Numerous comments have been made by the trade that New Zealand factory managers show careless workmanship in the finishing -f their cheese. Too frequently an excess of bandage is used, which if it does not show in wrinkles on the side of the cheese, overlaps too much on the ends and, after becoming loose, looks unsightly. I have seen many cheese that, when taken out of the crates, showed badly cracked crowns, loose cap cloths, and broken lips, and mould which had penetrated, a certain distance, causing a loss to the grocer when the cheese was cut for counter sale. Another fault with quite a few of our cheese is soft crowns. Our cheese', should not evidence this fault, providing the cheese have been properly cared for m the curing rooms. I am sorry to note that to-day there are some factory managers who do not give proper attention to the cheese while on the shelves. I have seen some where the cheese for want of turning are allowed, to stick to the shelves, and the shelves in a condition that the cheese have no chance to dry out properly on the ends before being packed. Tight packing of cheese has also a serious effect on the crowns of the cheese by the time they arrive in London. Many times I have seen cases of cheese upon the floor of warehouses unpacked for drying purposes, producing rather a bad effect on buyers. Cheese out of condition are passed by the usual buyers and appeal only to those on the look out for cheap cheese. All cheese should, when packed, have the regulation air space of half an inch to each cheese. Cracked rinds and poorly finisiwd cheese cause no end of trouble between sellers and buyers. Very often the defects is not discovered until some time after the cheese have been taken delivery of by the buyer. A HARMFUL IRREGULARITY. Allowances in most cases have been asked for and given, and often when it is too late to pass this loss direct to the factory, on account of the account sales having been previously posted to New Zealand. Nevertheless this irregularity does very much harm to the brand con-

cerned, and in some cases reflects on the. whole .of New Zealand cheese. The placing of the brand on the side of the cheese is most important. Too often no brand is visible, and at times it is undecipherable. The stamping of the factory’s registered number and on the cheestj should be done in an attractive manner. . These are all faults that can be well avoided in New Zealand, and I wish most; earnestly to draw the attention of factory managers to them. Before I went to England these seemed only small matters and not worth troubling about, but after being called in to arbitrate in so many instances, during my term of office,.! appreciate the importance of this branding being done so that the identity of the manufacturing factory can be definitely established. .. . Waxing: Opinion on this question is divided at Home; some retailers prefer waxed cheese and some do not. The chief objections to waxed cheese are slimy rinds and a greater tendency to open up and crack after the bandage has been stripped off, and the cheese cut. Retailers who once were favourable towards waxed cheese were now inclined to change their opinions.

TARANAKI CHEESE UNSUITABLE.

Merchants have persistently complained that the quality of cheese Taranaki has been sending in the past, and moie particularly the last year was quite unsuitable, and what the trade did not like, and would not take if it could help it. Here we are every year increasing the outputs of cheese and. manufacturing an article that- lias been causing a decrease in th consumption of cheese, and which has had a lowering effect on the market value. , ; You must knovz that the final arbiter on all cheese is the consumer, and the consumer likes a clean flavoured, bodied, close cutting, meaty cheese. If we are to maintain our position on the cheese market, it is for us to give the people of Britain what they want, and not what the New Zealand producers think they should have. It is absolutely necessary for us to aim for the very best quality. To get and maintain that best quality, it is essential that much of our milk supply should be improved and that only good starters should be used. The curds should be properly “cooked by giving sufficient time and without unduly high temperatures. The removal of the free whey should be facilitated at din by sufficient hand stirring so as to give° a firm curd that will cheddar. well before salting. With such a curd it is essential to avoid,excessively high percentages of salt. ’ Too many bf our cheese have, in the past been spout o/ too heavy salting. If these matters were attended to. on our dairy farms and in our factories, I feel sure that the quality of our cheese could be made to suit the trade ana that we. could regain the confidence of the trade in New’ Zealand cheese again. In conclusion,. I would like to say that it has been pleasing to me to see a decided improvement in the quality or cheese going forward.