EXCISE DUTY ON ARTIFICIAL BUTTER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1682, 8 October 1887, Page 2

EXCISE DUTY ON ARTIFICIAL BUTTER

Ou the agitation of German farmsrs, a bill ia to be introduced into the Reichstag having for its object the imposition of an excise duty on artificial butter, because the consumption of this commodity, which is about one half the prioe of real butter, Ib steadily increasing, and threatens to become a serlouc rival of the natural product, and thus injure the farmers. At the present moment, fifteen thousand tons of artificial butter are manufactured yearly m Germany, and the whole of thi3 is consumed at home. One of the largest faotorlea is that of Messrs Burman and Oo , of Berlin, where artifical butter is made according to the process of Md^e and Mauries. The best fat is first froed from the indigestible stearine, then mixed with aboet twenty five per cent of milk, a small quantity of best olive oil and a small quantity of real butter. The materials are heated and kneaded by steam power, then solidified by means of a jet of water, which la cooled by an Ice machine, then pressed to remove the milk and water, and finally salted and packed ready for the market. Ohemioal analysis shows that artificial butter ie almost identioal with the natural produot. It contains ninety per cent of fat, seven per cent of water, three per Cent of salt and caseine, — " Farming World " (Sootland.