STANDARDISED CHEESE.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18167, 4 November 1930, Page 7

STANDARDISED CHEESE.

HIS EXCELLENCY’S WARNING. BASIS 'OP CONSUMERS’ JUDGMENT NAME NOT QUALITY. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Last week the differences of opinion between experts in regard to standardised cheese were mentioned Reference was made to the opinion expressed by a gathering of factory representatives at Hamilton a day or two previously to the effect that the quality of both full cream and standardised cheese could be improved “by the tightening up of the existing regulations,” and to the protest against the proposal to abolish the present regulations which permit of standardisation. Mr W. J. Poison, the president of the Farmers’ Union, also had warned the producers against being bullied by the chairman of the Dairy Board into, the abandonment of standardisation. “It is a very important question indeed,” he told the union, “and it is very important no hasty step should be taken.” Standardisation, it may be as well to mention, is the process of reducing the amount of butter-fat in the milk to a measure deemed necessary for cheese making. An Expert’s Advice. Now His Excellency, the GovernorGeneral, a practical agriculturalist; who is taking a very keen interest in New Zealand farming, has come on the scene with a word or two concerning standardisation. “New Zealand,” he said, speaking at the Wairarapa Show last week, “might produce standardised cheese, and it might be some of the finest cheese in the world; but when it was labelled with that description on the British market the question was asked ‘what does the name mean?’ The reply would, be that it meant cheese made from milk from which part of the cream had been withdrawn. The retort of the British market was ‘ that is what we call skimmed milk cheese.’ In consequence the Home consumer would be prepared to pay for standardised milk only skim milk prices. Consequently New Zealand was not going to be judged by its quality, but by its name, and New Zealand producers might not get full value for their goods." Here is advice likely to shake standardisation.