CHEESE QUALITY

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3269, 7 March 1931, Page 4

CHEESE QUALITY

WIN FOR STANDARDISED. PEMBROKE COMPANY'S EXPERIMENT. While criticism has been levelled against New Zealand standardised cheese from many quarters, both at • Home and in this country, the experience of the Pembroke DairyJsGompany has been anything but unsatisfactory in this regard (says the Stratford Post), and an experiment concluded at the Pembroke factory seemed further to bear out this company s contention that a good quality standardised cheese can be manufactured. /■•£onx the com P a ny's October meeting (1930) it was decided to instruct each agent to return one crate of Pembroke cheese in order to check up on the way in which the cheese opened up after the voyage Home, and to ascertain if Pembroke cheese came under the category of the huge quantities of allegedly bad standardised product. The crates were selected haphazardly by the agents, and, as the-factory manager had no idea of the directors' decision, there is no suggestion whatever.of cheese being specia ly manufactured for the occasion. The two crates selected were respectively one of coloured made on September 25th last and one of white cheese manufactured on September 10th, and shipped by the Ruapehu and Zealandic. The cheeses were graded at Moturoa on their return about a weak ago, and the absence of any deterioration in quality is borne out by the report of the dairy produce grader, Mr C. C. Robertson, as follows:

"We have made an examination of two crates of cheese returned here from the Ruapehu. The original pointings of the lines in which these crates were included, together with the points we would al ot these cheeses to-day are:— Original (white), 40J, 18, 17, 9i, 5—90. To-day's (white), 40, 171, 18,- 10, 5 —9OS. Original (coloured), 401, 18, 17*, 9i, S—9OL To-day's (coloured), 39. 18, 18, 10, 5—90. "Had we been in a position to point these crates individually prior to export, we would have a much bet-' ter idea of the change which has taken place in the interval. Notwithstanding the fact that, whereas, in the first place, these crates of cheese were graded as part of a line and are now pointed individually, to-day's pointings are remarkably close to the original. "The white cheese is the best flavoured, but somewhat weak in body, while the coloured, although not so clean in flavour, is a good-bodied cheese. Both should make good eating cheese." The cheeses were returned to Stratford last week and yesterday, in. the presence of the Pembroke directors, were stripped and opened at the factory. The result was particular y satisfactory for both white and coloured opened up in excellent condition, with no cracks, mould, soft crown or rind, and no excess moisture. The cheese was moist and full flavoured and had no objectionable rim. This, in view of the fact that the product was September make, when there is always a considerable amount of artificial feeding, is considered very favourable. It is interesting to note that the factory weights of the cheese were: Coloured 164 b, white 1631 b, the white weighed 1601 b in England and at the factory the weights were: Coloured 1621 b, white 160ilb. The fat content was white 51.3 per cent, and coloured 50.05 per cent. So impressed by the experiment are the directors of the Pembroke Dairy Company that arrangements are being made to invite leading members of the dairy industry to attend the factory in a few days' time, and examine the two remaining cheeses which will be cut for their , inspection. The company will then probably take the matter further.