MILK GRADING SCHEME

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1932, Page 12

MILK GRADING SCHEME

REGULATIONS THIS WEEK EXPLANATION OF PROPOSALS. ADDRESS BY MR. W. M. SINGLETON. An address on milk grading, a subject that has been exercising the minds of dairy factory suppliers and directors of late, was given to the Taranaki Dairy Factory Managers’ conference yesterday by Mr. W. M. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, who dealt with the question mainly from the technical side. It had been decided to try the policy of milk grading for the balance of the season and regulations in that connection, would be gazetted probably this week, Mr. Singleton said. It had been deemed advisable to try milk grading, this season without compulsory differential payment so that factory managers, together with directors and suppliers, would know what its effect would be. The Dairy Board had approved of the introduction of grading in response to a resolution passed by conferences of dairy farmers and factory managers’ associations, so that it was felt that there would be the co-operation of suppliers, directors and managers in testing milk grading. He promised that the Dairy Division would give its full co-operation. The regulations would be to the effect that the milk was to be graded according to tests approved by the Dairy Division, and so as not to make it too exacting on the factory staff it was suggested that the grading instead of being done every day should be done at least twice in every tenday period. The regulations also provided that the grading must be done conscientiously. Any factory not carrying out milk grading was liable to a penalty of £5O, whilst the factory manager if he did not do the work honestly was also liable.' The dairy company was under an obligation to supply the Dairy' Division with the percentage of milk graded first and second. BASED ON CREAM GRADING. The regulations were largely based on those for cream grading but there would be only two grades of milk for cheese —.first and second. First grade, milk was milk that in the opinion of the grader, if manufactured without pasteurising would make cheese not lower than first grade, whilst second grade was milk that under similar conditions would make cheese not lower than second grade. He believed factory ftianagers would have little difficul’.y in working on that basis. In grading homeseparated cream for butter making there were three grades—finest, first and second. A great deal of thought had been given before deciding on the test to be used. A survey , of all tests likely to be of practical use—nearly a dozen —had been made with the assistance of bacterologists and instructors and numerous samples of milk had been tested in an endeavour to secure an efficient test and one that would not entail too much work on the factory staff. From practical experiment they had found various tests suitable and had finally come to the conclusion that no other test would suit the factory managers as well as the curd test. They had come to that conclusion somewhat reluctantly as it had been hoped to set a test that would mean a little less work, but they realised that the curd test was one with’which the managers were already conversant and in which they had confidence, and he agreed with Mr. Nathan that an essential of the test was that it must have; the confidence of the factory managers, who could thus secure the implicit confidence of the suppliers, which they must have if milk grading was to be a success. He doubted whether for the balance of the season other than the Wisconsin curd test would be used. If a manager cared he could test one-fifth of the supplier’s milk each day instead of testing all the milk two days a period, and he would thus reduce the work to a minLrum. If after this season’s trials it was decided to continue grading and make a compulsory differential payment, no doubt the question of the number of times the test was to be made would come up for discussion. Mr. Singleton gave an illustration of apparatus by which the work of testing the samples could be considerably reduced, pointing out that if the manager so desired he could use the methylene blue test. In designing the tester they had tried to cut out all the work possible, but if any factory manager could make suggestions that would further reduce the work without impairing its efficiency he would be pleased to have them. TO CONVINCE SUPPLIERS. One important point in connection with the test that had been adopted, was that the factory manager would have very little difficulty in convincing a supplier whose milk had been graded second on account of body or flavour as he would be able to show him the curd in comparison with that of milk graded first. There might be more difficulty with regard to flavour as there was a class of supplier who could quite sincerely say he could not get the objectionable flavour ns his nose had not been trained, whilst there, was another class who would not admit that he had it. Cream grading had been a success despite the- fact that it was often carried out by assistants who were not so experienced as the factory managers who would be grading the milk, for ever since he had taken up factory work the manager had been assessing the value of the curds from the viewpoint of the class of cheese it would make. Mr. Singleton stressed the point that it was essential that the factory plants and utensils should be kept in such a condition that a supplier could not adversely criticise. Mr. L. J, Rundle, chairman of Bell Block Dairy Company, pointed out that some cheese factories changed over from cheese to butter in the winter and he considered that it would be confusing to suppliers to have their milk graded first and second while cream for butter was graded finest, first and second. He considered three grades would have been preferable. Mr. Singleton said the .matter bed been decided on after careful consideration. Possibly after the experience of this season they might see some, means of overcoming any difficulty. Any company that was already paying on a differential basis for grade could continue to do so. Mr. A. Thompson (Bell Block) asked whether, if compulsory differential payment came into force, a supplier could have his milk tested night and morning. Mr. Singleton said the number of tests could be reserved for the industry to deliberate upon later when it was decided to institute differential payment. Personally, he thought a daily test sufficient. Mr. W. J. Honeyfield (Patua) asked whether drinking water from a polluted stream would affect milk. Mr. Singleton said that the milk was more likely to be affected by the cow having to go through mud to get to the water. Mr. Rundle said he would like to see the regulations go a step further and define the boundaries in which factories could operate. There was a danger that suppliers not satisfied with their grade might instal a separator and take their cream to another concern, with the result that some small cheese factories might go out of existence. He also understood that there was an intention to interfere with the marking of cheese crates and butter boxes by the elimination of the word factory. If that were so he suggested it should be left over till next year. Mr. Singleton appreciated the suggestion made by Mr. Rundle. If it were the desire of the industry next year to introduce compulsory differential payment, and if it were also the desire that amended regulations should be introduced making it illegal-

for a supplier who had started supplying a cheese factory to leave that factory without the consent of the directors he would pledge himself to do his utmost to have; that done. It was proposed to eliminate the word factory for cheese crates on the advice of their London representatives as it was pointed out that in. England there was factory cheese made from surplus milk for local consumption that did not come up to the standard of the English farm cheese, and there was a suggestion that New Zealand factory cheese was made under similar conditions. Though the regulation woCd be introduced factories would be allowed to utilise the stocks of crates they had on hand, but when ordering new supplies of crates the word would be eliminated.