FIVE QUESTIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18350, 9 June 1931, Page 9

FIVE QUESTIONS.

CHEESE AND BUTTER. LETTER FROM LONDON IMPORTERS IMPORTANT POINTS FOR INDUSTRY The last English mall brought a copy of a “memorandum on New Zealand cheese and butter prepared and unanimously approved by members rf the New Zealand Dairy Produce Importers' Association (London), at a meeting held on April 1." The full text of the memorandum follows, After many meetings and discussions the members of the above association believe it to be in the true interest of their clients and friends, who are the producers in New Zealand, that the following memorandum should be submitted l'or full consideration, discussion and action by the producers in New Zealand.

Since the war the world's supply of dairy produce has been increasing almost 10 per cent, per annum —a rate much in excess of increase in population. Until now this increase lias been absorbed by a rising standard of living and purchasing power on the part of the consuming public; but it must be observed that there are signs that this rise in standard has been checked.

In our opinion a larger consumption per capita of New Zealand butter and cheese can only lie attained by improvement in quality and so inducing a thicker spreading of butter and bigger helping of cheese by the 'individual consumer. Without this improvement in quality saturation point may be reached. We would poin( out that where a failing back in quality from competing sources of supply has been experienced producers in those countries have tackled their problem immediately, and have been successful in solving it. We fully believe the New Zealand producers can and will do the same, and be equally successful when once they realise the gravity of the situation. Producers will be able to work out ■ the necessary improvements for tjiemselves, but the following questions occur to us to have some bearing on the problem:—■(a) lias [lie industry sufficient powers to ensure the supply of only pure and uncontaminated milk and cream to the. factories ? (b) Does the dairy branch of the Ministry of Agriculture exercise its powers and opportunities to the fullest possible extent? (c) Has New Zealand a sufficient staff of technical experts to train makers, and lo trace out defects in quality to their origin ? (d) Is the grading in New Zealand drastic enough to keep factory managers fully informed as to the defects of their produce? (e) Are the directors of dairy companies alive to the enormous . damage done to (lie Industry, . a r of iNew t/ Zea • land dairy 'farmers' returns, by the adoption of practices which encourage the overloading of moisture In cheese,,, and the acceptance of cream of doubtful quality for butter-making? Cheese. Nearly twelve months ago the New Zealand Dairy Produce Importers’ Assoolation sent a message of warning to New Zealand producers regarding the quality of cheese, in the hope of an improvement being eflected. Despite the fact that early shipments of 1930-31 season seemed to give promise, of some improvement, this hope has not been fulfilled. There is still abundant evidence that the general quality of New Zealand cheese coming to hand tills season docs not please the consuming public. Admittedly there have been large quantities of competitive foodstuffs available at lo.v prices, but at the lower price levels these increased quantities have found a ready market, whereas in the case of cheese, despite the lowering of retail price, there is iiltle, it' any, increase, in lltc rate of consumptiv 3 demand, as reflected by deliveries from wharves and stores.

Importers, wholesalers and retailers alike, complain ot Hie following outstanding'defects: (a) Faulty body and texture, openness, and in many cases pastiness arising apparently from overmoisture and/or over-acidity; (b) a lack of true Cheddar character and •flavour, even when the cheese is kept long enough for full maturity. There is a growing number of buyers who insist on ordering nothing but “full cream” cheese of the highest quality, but the difficulty of securing the deserved price premium for such goods is accentuated by the fact that the grade mark of such quality is usually no higher than the “standardised” description. A remedy for this difficulty could be found in differentiating substantially in the grading. Importers fully recognise the fundamental difficulties of the Grading Department in New Zealand in estimating what a cheese graded 1-i days old will be liko when offered for retail in England some two or three months later, but either the grading must lie stricter, or, alternatively, the grade mark should be omitted altogether from the crates. Cheddar and Standardised Descriptions. As publicity lias already been given in England by English cheese interests to tho proposed description of standardised cheese as “chcddar" no bene- | fit is likely to accrue from this change i of nomenclature. The British con- I sumer has already shown a dislike for I other than “full cream” cheese, and we would like to see New Zealand revert to the manufacture of full orcam cheese only. Buttor. Our association desires to draw your attention to the fact that the quality of much of the New Zealand butter j lacks the best characteristics of previous years. Tho defects may be classified as follows: (a) A llatnoss i:i flavour tending lo neutrality; (b) a ■flavour of over-pasteurising and overneutralising described by some people a a “soda flavour." We would strongly emphasise the fact that all competing butter from other parts of the world continue to Improve, particularly in flavour, and New Zealand producers cannot expect j to maintain their high reputation on 1 the British market unless they pro - i dueo butter of the very highest ; quality.