TO PASTEURISE SKIM MILK

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 874, 21 July 1910, Page 8

TO PASTEURISE SKIM MILK

A FACTORY MANAGER'S INVENTION One of the chief questions in New Zealand dairying circles to-day is that concerning the pasteurisation of skim milk. The fact that the un-pasteurised by-pro-duet is being daily taken away from nearly every factory in the Dominion is a source of considerable worry to those who havo the welfare of the industry at heart. The possibilities of evil results «ro such that the dairy experts and many of .the leading farmers of the country are desirous of adopting a safer system. Experiments have been made by the Department of Agriculture, but there seem to be one ox two difficulties yet to be removed. One of the principal issues, of course, is that of expense. What is known as tie froth trouble caused anothor problem. It is said that at one factory where pasteurising skim milk was tried there was an astonishing quantity of froth about tho tank; so great, in fact, that it was a considerable nuisance. Putting a lid on the tank to prevent the froth running over was tried, but the lid had to be taken off to be cleaned every day. And, looking further afield, it is not every tank that it would be convenient to lid. It js supi»sed that the froth is caused through air getting into the pasteuriser. Some factory managers were talking of the matter on their way home from the National Dairy Show at Palmerston North, and one of them has since been experimenting, and now believes he has overcome the two difficulties of froth and expense. His invention is a contrivance which heats the skim milk to 180 degrees •and cools it down to 120 degrees before running it ont into the ; tank, and he claims that with the product cooled down there is bo fear of froth.-

The cooling- down process also does away with another objection. Dairymen used to complain that taking home cans full of boiling milk was dangerous, because splashing could not bo avoided. The inventor is Mr: Cooper, the manager of the Mangatoki (Taranaki) factory.

Some-factory managers and . directors have Twen of the opinion, that in big factories skim milk could not be done economically on account : of the expense of heating. They say it is feasible with small concerns, but not at factories where there, is a great river of milk every day. Mr. Cooper says that with his invention the cost of heating is very small. . A trial at Mangatoki is reported to have' been satisfactory, but more extensive trials will probably be necessary before the value of the invention can bo gauged.