SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

DAIRY PRODUCE QUALITY SOME PROBLEMS WITH CHEESE. One satisfactory feature of the dairying industry is the absence of serious complaints ■ from the British market about the -quality of New Zealand dairy produce. It is evident that considerable improvements in this direction have been made during the last year or two, especially as far as the manufacture of cheese is concerned. This was confirmed by Mr. G. M. Valentine, assistant director of the dairy division, when addressing a conference of factory managers a little while ago (states the Dairyman). Mr. Valentine, who returned from a trip to England some time ago, said the improvement in cheese had been quite marked, although the defect of openness remained. “New Zealand cheese,” he said, ‘had to overcome the prejudice caused by the abuse of over-yields in the past and, worst of all, the discolouration that had occurred.” While this improvement is very encouraging it should be evident that it cannot be considered satisfactory until the problem of openness had been solved. It was thought for a while that milk grading and a general improvement in the raw material would do away with this trouble. Experiments have proved, however, that this belief is not justified. Research has established the fact that while "fermentation openness” can be readily remedied by a careful control of the milk supply, “slit” and “mechanical openness” will make their appearance in cheese made from the purest of milk. While discussing this vexatious question with one of our foremost cheesemakers recently, we were informed that some starters made closer cheese than others, but he was not prepared to say whether the same starter would give the same result if used in different districts. There are a number of factors which appear to affect the degree of openness, but there is every reason to believe that the fundamental cause has not yet been touched upon. This trouble is undoubtedly the greatest problem facing the New Zealand cheese industry, and no expense should be spared to discover the cause and a remedy. The grading figures over the last few years certainly reflect the improvements made during this period. In 1930-31, cheese grading 91 points' and over represented 82.4 per cent.; in 1933-34 the same grading represented 98 per cent But as an indication of the disastrous effects of openness it may be pointed out that while, during last season approximately 68 per cent, of our total export cheese graded 92 points, 44 per cent, of these gradings just failed to reach the 93 points required for “finest” grade because of open tekture. As Mr. Valentine pointed out, “our need is not just to hold our present position in the market, but to improve it. The suggested improvements in raw material, etc., will be of great value, but it is highly essential that, hand in hand with milk grading, farm inspection, and instruction, and improved methods of manufacture, must go a comprehensive system of scientific research, and efforts should not slacken until a solution has been found for this serious defect in our cheese.