QUALITY OF PRODUCTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21193, 16 August 1940, Page 7

QUALITY OF PRODUCTS

DECREASE LAST YEAR MR C. J. FARLANE’S REMARKS “In the matter of quality, for reasons that it is difficult to determine, the season was not as satisfactory as could be desired,” said Mr C. J. Parlane, the general manager. “There was a slight decrease in the quantity of finest quality cream received at our butter factories which resulted in a lower percentage of finest quality butter being manufactured. “It is possible that greater attention to detail on the farnT would be helpful in improving on the present position. It has to be admitted, however, that farmers cannot always readily effect a remedy when low-grade cream is due to feed flavours. The quantity of firstgrade milk received for cheese-mak-ing also shows a lower percentage than for the previous year whilst the grading of the resultant cheese was in line with the quality of the milk received. However, we do not subscribe to the view that the slightly lower grading of our butter and cheese is due to an alteration in the grading standard by the Government graders. “ Extreme Care Necessary ” “I desire to again bring under the notice of our suppliers the necessity for using extreme care in regard to the quantity of water used for flushing milking machines and separators,” added Mr Parlane. “It would appear that many farmers supplying milk to factories adopt the practice of using a given amount of water to flush out their milking machines after each milking and obviously this goes into the cans or milk vats as the case may be. If a small quantity of water only is used this may not be a very serious matter during the flush of the season because of the large quantity of milk that is then being produced, but during the winter months, if the same quantity of water is used—which in many instances appears to be the case—the amount of milk that it is mixed with is very much less with the result that the added water is quite a substantial percentage of the whole. The practice of permitting water to get into the milk cannot at any time be recommended because quite apart from contamination that may take place it increases separation losses on the farm and in respect of cheese and milk powder factories it increases costs and reduces yields. Dangers of Over Flushing “There are many farmers who do

not adopt the practice of flushing their machines after milking and who claim that it is totally unnecessary to do so, and in view of the experience of these suppliers we would recommend those who have adopted the practice to follow their example. The obvious result of over-flushing separators is that the farmer concerned is credited with a cream test that is under standard and when this occurs we are compelled by regulation to pay for this butterfat one halfpenny per pound less than otherwise would have been the case. Quite a number of farmers supply cream, particularly during the winter months, testing under standard and as this means a loss both to the supplier individually and to the company we would strongly urge those concerned to take the necessary steps to obviate such a happening.”