DAIRY PRODUCE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

DAIRY PRODUCE

QUALITY SHOWS IMPROVEMENT. CURING-ROOM TEMPERATURES. The quality of butter manufactured during the past season had been well up to the high standard of recent years, despite the exceedingly hot weather which prevailed over the summer months, and the difficulty experienced in supplying milk and cream of a consistently high grade, remarks Mr. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, in his reports, which is included in the annual report to the New Zealand Dairy Board. “Although there was a slight reduction of 0.21 per cent* in the total graded as ‘finest,’ the average grade vzas 0.44 per cent, higher than for the preceding season, he continues, “The daily delivery of cream, during the season showed a decided increase and this has been instrumental in maintaining the quality of butter manufactured over the period of extremely hot weather which was experienced. As most of the better scoring brands are made from daily delivery cream, which requires the addition of little or .no neutralising agent, a further extension of this principle, from the point of view of quality, appears essential.. “Cheese manufactured during the season has been of good-, sound quality, many of the better brands being close in texture, with close, waxy bodies and clean in flavour. The quantity ,of ‘finest’ cheese has not been quite so high as for tiie preceding season, the percentages being approximately 22 and 24 respectively. Many cheeses of good, clean flavour just failed to reach the ‘finest class through being a little too open in texture, these being scored at 92 and 92 2 - points, the minimum for finest being 93. “During the dry, hot period cheese held in curing-rooms with uncontrolled temperatures were more or less detrimentally affected through overheating. To avoid a repetition of this nature it appears essential that curing-room temperatures should be controlled, and, although many dairy companies are caring for their cheese in a manner which leaves little to be desired, it is encouraging to note that steps have already been taken by quite a number of, other dairy companies towards this end.”