MILK GRADING

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3180, 21 May 1932, Page 6

MILK GRADING

- RECENT REGULATIONS. APPROVED BY TARANAKI DAIRYMEN. • QUESTION OP TEST DECIDED. Delegates representatives of almost every dairy factory in Taranaki attended a conference at Hawera on Monday convened by the Federation of Taranaki Coi-operative Dairy Factories -with the object of fully discussing matters directly affecting the industry, particularly the recently-en-forced milk-grading regulations and the question of annual Dominion &>ndcGTcn.cC'* The question of milk grading had been a very vexed one for a number of years, said Mr Winks. At the request of factories affiliated to the federation it had been decided to hold a conference after, a trial had been experienced of the Government regulations. The main question at issue was whether the principle was approved,! and then what particular test was favoured. He would be very sorry to see the grading abolished, as he believed it to be essential. The quality of the milk had fallen very badly in recent years, and every company which had adopted the grading had adhered to it. There might be a diversity of opinion on the nature of the test, but that matter could be settled by a free discussion. It was suggested that instructions on farms should precede milk grading, the chairman stating in reply that the department had favoured farm instruction but had not had the money to proceed with it. CURD TEST QUESTIONED.

Mr J. B. Murdock (Jolls) said it was no use jumping to conclusions that the curd test was wholly satisfactory. The test and the grading should be continued for another year without penalty, and it was unfair to penalise suppliers when a steady improvement was being made. His direction had come to the conclusion that milk grading on a curd test had not shown sufficient proof of definite fault by the supplier, although they favoured the principle of grading. Mr Rundle said the discussion was leading from the subject; all the meeting was asked to do at the moment was to decide whether the principle of grading should be approved. Mr Marchant (Cardiff) said that the meeting should consider only whether the grading should be continued for another year without any penalty clauses. If there were suppliers who continued to send in second grade or bad milk the factory manager had only to inform the Department of Agn- • culture; when definite action would be taken in an endeavour to clean up the supply. His company, although some of the directors had previously opposed it, was in favour of the principle. . !lMii» Mr G. W. Williams said his company favoured grading entirely and had had samples graded for three years at the Hawera laboratory. The only way to stir suppliers into delivering the best milk was to touch their pockets. No manager could make quality cheese with poor milk end he believed the penalty clauses ehould be enforcd. Mr, A. Pearce (Kakaramea) said his 'factory had obtained the best milk for years past under the laboratory test. It was useless, however, to have any tests made unless the supplier was told definitely what was the matter with his supply and every endeavour made to assist him in rectifying his faults instead of penalising him. Mr Coleman asked what was the use of imposing a penalty on second grade milk when the whole of the supplies, first and second grade, were mixed together in manufacture. Mr Winks said that after differential payments had been in force a little time it would be found that 'mere would be no second grade milk. PENAL CLAUSES NECESSARY.

Mr J. L. Taylor, manager of the Lowgarth factory, said he was strongly in favour of milk clauses and believed that the penal clauses were necessary because of the fact that otherwise there would always be a few-suppliers who would not make any endeavour to improve their supplies unless affected financially. He Considered also that farm dairy instruction was essential in conjunction with the grading.

An Opunake delegate said his company was "right up against the grading." He-believed that the improvement was largely due to the fact that the race for yield had been abandoned. iWhen.the managers got down to work properly and spent longer hours in manufacture they would soon produce quality cheese.

'Mr Thompson (Bell Block) said all managers tried last year to produce the best quality cheese, but had failed." The milk supply to-day was infinitely better than 20 years ago, but, although He believed much would be achieved, by grading, it would not «olye the problems. of openness and

other faults confronting the cheese industry. Mr McDonald (Kaupokonui) said he favoured milk grading and since it had been established at his factory he had been astonished at the interest taken in it by the suppliers. He believed the desire results could be achieved without the penalty. Questioned, Mr Corrigan said he had- been informed by Mr Singleton that it depended on the vote of the dairy conference whether the regulations now in force would be continued. The Dairy Division wanted the industry to decide the question. IMPROVED MILK SUPPLY. Mr A. Ross (departmental instructor) congratulated the factory managers on the improvement in the products this season. When he had been grading at Home many complaints had been received of strong,: unclean flavours, and every endeavour to improve the quality in New Zealand was going to consolidate the Dominion's position at the Home market. He had been repeatedly asked in England why the New Zealand factories did not introduce milk grading. His personal experience was that, as a rule, a very few suppliers affected the whole of a factory's output and he strongly believed the factories should continue with the grading. Mr E. Bourke (Kaupokonui) said his company did not believe in differential payments. If a milk was second grade it should be returned to the supplier, and that was the only way to assure a thoroughly clean supply. It was considered by Mr Hall, manager of the Okato factory, that the only way to secure a clean supply was to penalise in the payments. Meat and every other food was graded, and it was perhaps more essential that milk should be inspected. If the quality was not of the best the fadoy manager could not be expected to make first-classe cheese. ■ The resolution was carried by a substantial majority on a show of hands. METHOD OF GRADING. Mr J. Browning (Midhirst) said the principle and system of milk grading I went hand in hand. The companies, 1 like the Government, were short of ! finance, and if an economical system ! was devised there would be substani tial support for it. "The Dairy Board conference is the one to which to forward regulations," I said Mr J. R. Corrigan, in answer to j Mr J. L. Snowden. j Mr Johnson (Joll) moved that the meeting adopt the tests provided in j the regulations. Mr Free was of opinion that there should be differential payments if only for Taranaki. Mr Gibson (Kaimiro) seconded the resolution. Mr Corrigan said that any factory had the right to impose penalties if desired. Mr Singleton had stated that the department would not enforce differential payments unless at the wish of the whole of the industry. The speaker added that he was in favour of the resolution.

Mr Shannon said he considered it unwise to debate the advantages of the respective tests as there would be a tendency to create a doubt in the minds of suppliers as to the efficiency of the test finally adopted.

"All methods are subject to fault," said Mr Winks, "and opinions differ." He did not want to see a split on the question of the test to be adopted.

"Is there any chance of a supplier beating the curd test by adding some sort of preservative ? " asked a delegate.

Replying, Mr P. O. Veale, dairy scientist at the Hawera laboratory, said it was possible to beat almost any test if a person had sufficient knowledge, hut the average supplier would not be able to do so. The addition of a preservative would affect th curd and methylene blue tests, but could not affect the bacteriological count.

Mr McDonald (Kaupokonui) said he the curd and methylene blue tests, tory and preferred it to the reductase test because the supplier could be given an occular demonstration of the faults.

From the cheesemaker's point of view the blue test was useless, said the manager of the Bell Block Factory. The bacteriological test was not entirely satisfactory- If the curd test was adhered to more general satisfaction particularly with the use of a litte starter,! would be secured. "I take it that the passing of the resolution will mean that the curd test will only be tried out for another year and then reconsidered," said Mr Murdock.

Mr Winks said that no time limit was fixed or suggested and could be altered at the wish of the industry. "I believe that when the curd test has been in operation for another twelve months it will be adopted almost unanimously," said a delegate. Mr Taylor (Ngaere) said he found it very hard to make a distinction between first and second grade under the curd test, and he preferred the microscopic test.

" Mr Singleton wants a system that will be uniform throughout the Dominion," said Mr Winks in reply to a question. PIONEERS OF GRADING.' Mr Parsons said that some of the factories in South Taranaki had pioneered milk grading, and he was of opinion that the factories should be allowed to adhere to tests which had given them every satisfaction. Mr Williams and other speakers expressed similar opinions. It was moved that th bacteriological test be added to the resolution. Mr Muggeridge said he was gratified that such a proposal had been made as his factory, as well as many others in South Taranaki, had implicit faith in the microscopic test and in Mr Veale. " Factories using the microscopic test will not be debarred from using it," said Mr Corrigan. "The department is not up against the microscopic test, but it cannot be made general and for that reason the department asks for support of the curd test. All the department wants is a regulation which can be generally adopted. The department believes wholly in the microscopic test, but it will be realised that the greater part of the Dominion's milk supply cannot be tested by that means because there are so few laboratories." Mr E. K. Cameron suggested that the difficulty could be overcome by framing the resolution to read that the curd test or the bacteriological count might be used. If the Massey College authorities and the Department of Agriculture advocated the curd test the meeting could safely be guided by them, said a delegate. Mr Peterson (Ngaere) said that Mr Singleton had informed dairy factory managers' conferences that he would welcome any suggestion as to tests, therefore it did not seem that the curd test would be insisted upon. .- MR VEALE'S VIEWS. The curd test would penalise on account of milk flavour, said Mr Veale, and it might deal unfairly with some suppliers. A drop or two of rennet might have a decided effect. If the assumption was correct that all the curd samples would turn out the same, then, there was no art in cheese making. The assumption was ridiculous. Milk of a lower fat content had to be treated differently from a high test milk, and it was essential to have an industrial test. Curd testing was satisfactory if carried out individually, but it was unsatisfactory to treat the samples generally. As to the use of starter, everyone knew that good flavour could be made from any class of milk with a good starter. If more starter was added to one sample than another very distinct results would be obtained. He wished to make it clear that he was not out to attack the curd test, but he would like suppliers to know the limitations of the test. Referring to feed flavours, a manager stated that his opinion was definite that the flavours would be more pronounced when produced under dirty conditions than under clean. In fairness to the curd test he would say that it was generally reliable, but it should be said that no test was infallible.

By 47 votes to 42 the meeting approved of the regulations, with the stipulation that either the curd or the bacteriological count could be used.