BUTTER ADULTERATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7977, 2 March 1906, Page 7

BUTTER ADULTERATION.

The London correspondent to the Sydney Morning Herald writes:—ln gpite of the failure of the late Government to carry its Butter Bill, the Agents-General have been making jrreat efforts to prevent frauds in the sale of butter in Australianmarked Government eases. The matter is evidently one of considerable difficulty. It Is estimated that whereas a few years ago only one or two firms were engaged in the blending of Australian butter, between one hundred and one hundred and fifty" firms are now making a very remunerative business of it. The chemical analysis of these blended butters is attended with many obstacles. For instance a great quantity of Danish butter was seized some time ago, and analysed and found—so it was supposed—to be adulterated. THE DANISH GOVERNMENT was seriously alarmed, and employed Dr. Hehner, who is now •considered the greatest butter authority in London, and whose advice the Agents-General are following in the present cases, to make an inquiry into the matter. He went to Denmark, ■ and watohed the process of feeding, milking and butter-making in that country, and bis subsequent analysis of the butter made under his own inspection showed chat it was identical with the butter which had been regarded as adulterated in this country—much apparently depending on the time of year at which it is made. In the analysis of Australian butter it appears that the presence of adulterating fats can at once be detected, while Dr. Hehffer states that in low clssa European butters it is fraquently almost impossible to detect the existence of foreign elements. The superiority of Australian butter in this respect cannot, however, be taken advantage of until further legislation is carried.