FACTORY MANAGERS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1935, Page 13

FACTORY MANAGERS

NORTH TARANAKI BRANCH CONFERENCE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. INTERESTING ADDRESSES GIVEN. i There was a splendid attendance of managers and chairmen of directors at the annual conference of the North Taranaki branch of the Dairy Factory Managers’ Association at New Plymouth yesterday, when Mr. W. Taylor, Stratford, presided. Interesting and instructive addresses were given by Dr. H. R. Whitehead, Massey College, and Messrs. G. M. Valentine, C. Robertson and P. O. Veale.

“I must congratulate you all on the good work which has been done during the present season, which has been abnormal from a weather point of view; we have had hot spells in the past but we have never before had four months of hot weather on end,” said Mr. Robertson, the chief grader at the Taranaki Producers’ Freezing Company’s Moturoa works, in an address. The fact that they had come through this period with practically no second grade produce spoke well for both farmers and factory managers.

They have not only gone through this difficult period with very little second grade, but had kept the percentage of finest at a high level, as the following figures would show. For November the percentage of finest cheese was 39.69, for December 46.03 per cent, and for January 39.73 per cent. For butter the percentages of finest were: November 99.59 per cent., December 99.37 per cent., January 100 per cent. Butter was on a different footing from cheese as the butter-maker had more or less control of temperattires, while the cheese maker had no such control. LITTLE COMPLAINT OF CHEESE. During the past two seasons very little complaint had been made regarding the quality of New Zealand cheese. Reports coming forward on the season’s cheese indicated that the good work of the past two seasons was being continued this season. One complaint was that some of the cheese was slightly harsh in body, but when they considered that the cheese reported on was only three months old, these comments need not be taken too seriously. They had still to hear of the cheese made during the hot months, but he believed the bulk of this would prove satisfactory.

The cheeses, however, had not been entirely free from defects, and Mr. Robertson briefly dealt with them, giving suggested remedies. There had not been a great deal of over-moist cheese, but there were indications in some quarters that an effort we being made to increase the yield, which had certainly been low, possibly for the reason that the casein content of the milk had been deficient. AH knew where the yield question had led in the past, and, bearing in mind the good work that had been accomplished in the past two seasons, they would be very foolish to attempt anything of the same nature again. If a good quality cheese was made the yield would not go far astray, and the public of England were prepared to pay for quality. The great advance that had been made in the past two seasons in improving quality had been made possible by an improved milk supply and improved manufacturing methods. There remained to be solved the question, of the right sort of starter. Even with the best of starters mistakes would be made which would more or less injure the finished article, but no amount of skill on the part of the cheesemaker would overcome the bad effect of an inferior starter. RESULTS OF STARTERS. Although not actually engaged in the handling of starters graders had opportunities of observing the good or bad results of different starters. From information supplied by factory managers the opinion had been formed that the right sort of starter was not necessarily one which was active in the development of acidity. Many starters possessed this feature, but their activity appeared to cease soon after the cheese was hooped. Others while perhaps not so active from an acid producing point of view possessed some feature which imparted a smoothness to the finished cheese' and which continued to act during the maturing process. There was also evidence that a starter might be good in one factory and fail to give satisfaction in another.

1 The finish generally had been satisfac- • tory, but there was still room for im- , vrovement. In this connection it appear- [ ed to be a short-sighted policy to cover ; the sides of the cheese with a good bandage and the ends, the point from which all danger arose, with a flimsy cap cloth. They had saen many instances of cracked ! ends, although the sides of the eheese ■ were free from this defect. The packing I had been improved during the present season and the crates were much more rigid than formerly. For the first time for many years heated butter had arrived at the works. In some instances the butter was melted to a depth of about one inch. This had perhaps been unavoidable, but they could accept it that the butter so affected had had its life shorened. It was unlikely that there would be much more hot weather this season, but it would be as well to bear in mind, should they experience such conditions in the future, that the protection of butter from the hot rays of the sun was the first consideration. If it was delivered by lorry, an air space under the cover should be provided, and if by rail insulated trucks should be insisted on. CONSTITUTION OF MILK ADDRESS BY MR. P. O. VEALE. MOISTURE SUITABLE FOR CHEESE. “Recent investigations in America have demonstrated that the amount of moisture suitable in cheese depended upon the amount of non-fat constituents jn the milk,” said Mr. P. O. Veale in his address. He explained that statistics taken 'over a long period showed that about nine per cent, of the fat in the milk and about four per cent, of the casein failed to find its way into the finished cheese. Taking this as a basis, the laboratories could from samples give factories reliable information regarding the percentage of non-fat substance in their supply. The American analysis also demonstrated that the best cheeses were made when the percentage of moisture was between 54.5 and 55.9 of the : non-fat substances. The former figure was suitable for summer and autumn ; and the latter for spring. It had been ■ shown that the cheeses containing these percentages had not only been of better i flavour but had also kept better, show- ; ing no signs of bitterness that often ] crept in after cheeses had been kept for i gome time. !

He contended that if these principles could be put into operation, the whole

Industry would be placed on a more businesslike and efficient basis. Managers were often placed in an awkward situation when the output started to fall or did not come up to the standard of a neighbouring factory. This might be no fault of the manager, and might possibly tempt him to the disastrous policy of increasing yield. The testing of the milk supply in relation to the non-fat substances might possibly reveal that his milk did not contain the same percentage of that of the rival concern, or even that he was obtaining the correct result in relation to the material at his disposal. In that way it was a protection to the manager. Should, however, the figures demonstrate that the results were not what thev should be. it would be possible to investigate the causes, which might lie in the escape of too greater percentage of fat or casein during the process of manufacture. Mr. Veale explained that the past season had been most difficult. The long spell of dry weather had made the grass rather stubbly, containing too much stalk. This had reduced the quantity of nitrogenous matter and consequently the percentage of casein in the milk. The new growing grass with the tender shoots contained the greatest percentage of nitrogen. This reduction in the percentage of casein had necessarily re-

duced the moisture content and consequently the output of cheese. Mr. Veale concluded by stating that the following out of the lines that he had suggested would prove of great benefit to the future of cheese. There was still a big field for investigation, and he hoped it would not be neglected.