TIMBER TAINT.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 19373, 2 April 1935, Page 2

TIMBER TAINT.

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER. Swedish Pine Boxes. i A CONDITIONAL BAN. ! ________ I MINISTER’S ANNOUNCEMENT. J \By Telegraph—Press Association). WELLINGTON, April 2. The unsuitability of Swedish pine for butter boxes for the export of New Zealand butter and a ban on its use except under certain conditions, is contained in a statement issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. C. E. Macmillan, to-day. The statement says the quality of NeAv Zealand butter is such as to give good satisfaction to the great majority of its consumers and traders. With so much butter on the markets of the United Kingdom it is essential to safeguard its high reputation in every way possible. A complaint that is heard as frequently as any is that of timber taint, due to the odour of the wood in the butter containers getting to the surface of the butter, although there may be tAVO thicknesses of parchment paper between the inside of the box and the butter.

Borne timbers give more of this taint than others; and it is known that one of the most satisfactory timbers is NeAV Zealand AA'hite pine. One of the most unsatisfactory so far as New Zealand’s experience goes is picea excelsa, or pinea abies, or better known as Swedish pine. The dairy industry general regulations prescribed the use of Avhite pine or silver beech, or other approved species. It has noAV been decided that approval will not be forthcoming for the use of SAvedish pine (unless wax impregnated) for containers of butter for export as from August 1 next.