CASEIN MANUFACTURE.

Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 185, 4 February 1913, Page 4

CASEIN MANUFACTURE.

ADDRESS BY GOVERMENT EXPERT. A meeting of factory directors was held at Waitara last week to hear from Mr Pederson, of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, who recently returned from a special mission to Europe, the result of his inquiries regarding the manufacture of casein. Representatives were present from Midhirst, Moa, Lepperton, Bell Block, Waitara Road, Tikorangi, and North Taranaki.

Mr Pederson said there did not appear to him any possibility of over-production of casein, as its uses were growing so fast. On the Continent manufacturers were finding that casein even at the big prices it had been bringing was warranted, and they were quick to instal plants, so that where other things had been used in the making of many articles, more especially paints, size, and paper, casein was a better substitute and more economical. It was largely used where previously gum arabic and glue were required, and when these men were prepared to throw out their old machinery and instal new it showed their faith in the value of casein as a commercial article. The English manufacturers were more slow to adopt new methods

hence the fact of the bulk of the Droduct being sold on the Continent. One important fact about casein was that if of good quality it did not deteriorate by keeping, and was as good in two or three years as when first made. Therefore, if such a thing as a slump occurred it could be kept almost indefinitely until such time as the market recovered. From all he could gather there was no chance of such a slump occurring, but he only wanted to point out the fact that low prices could always be obviated. New Zealand milk was particularly well adapted for the manufacture of casein, being rich in quality, and so far as he could see after investigation in Denmark, we could produce casein quite equal to the best made

elsewhere. As to feeding qualities of the resultant whey, he could not speak as an experienced farmer, but evidently it had a good value when the Danes were able to export yearly from £6,000,000 to £7,000,000 worth of bacon. Of course, like most other matters, there was a difference of opinion, and he supposed always would be. He would advise caution in the expenditure of large amounts for at least the present year in the erection of drying plants, and thought the farmers would be wise in simply installing the plants at say one of their factories or creameries, and satisfy themselves of its benefits before launching out. These plants simply made the green casein, which was further dealt with at the Aramoho drying station. Midhirst had just installed such a plant, and were working under the conditions stated. As. a result of the above meeting several factories in the district are, says the Taranaki News taking immediate steps to hold meetings of suppliers with a view to placing the additional information before them with a view to ascertaining whether the directors will be authorised to take the necessary steps to erect precipitation plants this season, so that a trial can be made at a minimum of expense.