WAX COATING OF CHEESE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 1, 20 January 1925, Page 22

WAX COATING OF CHEESE.

A RECENT RIAL SHIPMENT

W. E. GWILLIM,

Assistant Director of the Dairy Division

It is a common practice in the United States to coat with paraffinwax cheese required for the domestic trade. The method was first introduced as a preventive measure against cheese-flies and the ; undue growth of mould. Incidentally it was found that the flavour of the cheese held better, ■ and • there was less loss in weight due to shrinkage. Some experimental work was : carried out here several years ago, . and a trial- shipment' of wax-coated cheese was made to the British market, but the results achieved did. not- appear to be sufficient to encourage further effort. The method is not universally approved by the trade in Britain. Some traders have a prejudice against wax-coated cheese, which is attributed to the idea, that when such cheese is cut up into pieces and exposed for sale the loss in weight is greater than with cheese which has not - been so treated. On the other hand, many traders prefer wax-coated cheese, and will buy it whenever opportunity offers, provided . the quality, is right. A considerable amount of trade is done each season in wax-coated Canadian cheese. The buyers appear to be those who thoroughly mature their cheese before sale. In February last a trial was undertaken in co-operation with the Kiritaki Co-operative Dairy Company (Hawke's Bay) for the purpose of obtaining further data as to the acceptability of wax-coated cheese on the British market, and ascertaining, to what extent the wax coating affected the quality of the cheese in regard to the flavour and body, and on the mould-growth and saving in loss of weight. A number of cheeses were taken from three vats each day for seven days, and, after having been on the shelves for about fourteen days, one half of the number from each vat were coated with wax and the other half left' unwaxed. The. cheeses were duly forwarded to the gradingstores and graded in the usual way. The score-points awarded for quality and finish were the same . in each case —namely, 44I for flavour, 28| for body and texture, 15 for colour, and 5 for finish, making a total of 93 points. The cheeses were uncased and weighed to the nearest ounce. Two months later the cheeses were regraded and weighed singly in London by our Inspector, Mr. W. Wright. He reported as follows : — “ No cracked lips are visible on the paraffined cheese, and it seems as though the paraffining would solve the problem of preventing the cracking of the lips of the cheese 'made in the type of hoop in general use.’ . The cheese can be made very pleasing for the counter trade, as the mould-growth is easily removed with a cloth. The cheese have taken and are holding the wax very well indeed. On no cheese has there been any flaking-off or breaking-away of the wax from the bandage. : Each cheese was judged separately for quality, and the points averaged out as follows : Waxed cheese (nineteen crates) — 43-94 points for flavour, 28-25 points for body and texture, 14-94 points

for colour; unwaxed cheese (nineteen crates) —43’23 points, 28-10 points, and 14-84 points respectively.”

The loss in weight between the time the cheese. was weighed in Wellington and reweighed in London was 0-56 per cent, in the waxed cheese and 1-54 per cent, in the unwaxed cheese. Arrangements had been made with the Kiritaki Dairy Company’s selling agents in England to pass the cheese on to buyers specially interested in waxcoated cheese, but the arrangement could not be adhered to, as the cheese

was selected to form part of the display of New Zealand dairy-products at the Wembley Exhibition..

As far as this trial was carried out it is evident that wax coating helps the quality of the cheese, minimizes mould-growth, and reduces shrinkage. Of these advantages the arrest of mould-growth is not the least important. On bare markets a little mould, and more especially ■ that of a light-bluish colour, may pass without special comment, but on well-supplied markets it may be viewed disparagingly and to the disadvantage of the seller.

' The coating of cheese with paraffin-wax is not a costly item. The wax used for the trial in question was purchasedin Canada at about

3|d. per pound, and each cheese took about 3 oz. of wax. The plant used was a small vat fitted with a coil of steam-pipes, and cost £4 5s. About 100 lb. of wax was placed in the vat, and brought to and held at a temperature of about 210° F. Each cheese was dipped in-the molten wax, held in it for about twenty seconds, and then withdrawn. Wax coating appears to be well worth the attention of manufacturers of cheese of the highest quality for sale on the British markets.

Persons employed on Farms. According to a recently issued report of the Census and Statistics Office the number of persons employed on farms in New Zealand in 1923-24 was 145,158, compared with 146,380 in the preceding year. The figures for 1923-24 are classified as follows : Agricultural, ' 12,047 males, 2,785 females ; dairying, 53,540 males, 24,605 females ; pastoral and unspecified, 41,351 males, 10,830 females. “ Persons employed ” include working proprietors or managers and such members of their families as are employed during the major part of their time on the work of the farm. The persons enumerated are those regularly employed in rural pursuits. No attempt; has been made to include temporary workers employed during harvest.