THE CASEIN INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 8

THE CASEIN INDUSTRY.

GOVERNMENT'S EI'ROr.KAX INVESTIGATIONS. ;' ' FAVOURABLE .MOSVECTS. , ' A full report has been received by Mr. D. Cuddie, Chief of the. Dairy Division ot the Agricultural Department, from Mr. J. I'cdwsen, an officer of the dairy staff, who was sent to Europe recently to make ■investigations into the" casein- industry. The. outstanding fact disclosed by Mr. Pedersen's inquiries .into the prospects for casein, on the world's markets is," according to on official report published in the Department's -"Journal," that while the demand for the raw material (skim milk) is rapidly increasing "for human consumption—many patent casein foodstuffs as 'well as for skim milk cheeses— the uses for casein in the manufacturing world are rapidly multiplying: The fbtmer demand must not only serve to maintain the value of casein, but it must inevitably tend to make, European manufacturers more dependent on outside sources of casein supS' ly. A'summary of the report is as uner:_ . . Increasing Demand.for Skim Milk. It is only, during the last ten years that 'the casein industry has developed, but .the development- has been so rapid that in the last five years the output has increased 100 per cent. Germany utilises. all its .skim milk for.food purposes, and now imports about 5000 tons annually from Argentina,.France, Italy and Scandinavia. Three years ago Denmark commenced the making of casein, and has now 300 factories in operation.. Last year German merchants were paying as high as 84 marks for, 100 kilos net at the tactory in Denmark, equal to M 2 per ton. This high price, however, enn hardly be considered the true value. The chief reasmi for the extreme price then ruling was a very dry season , in the Argentine, necessitating American manufacturers buying in Europe. At present the price in Europe is , £31 per ton. The freight from Wellington to Hamburg is «£2 per ton. The above rather low price is brought about by the.large quantify of poor-quality casein on the market, a fact which has been used as a lever by buyers to force down the price of the good article. Quality plays a most important part in the trade, there being little or no demand for an inferior article; it is almost unsaleable. There is now very little poor-quality casein being manufactured in Europe. New Zealand dairy companies," with a proper knowledge of the best methods ol preparation, fortified by the Government ■grading, should, Mr. Pedersen thinks, •have no difficulty in supplying the highquality article in demand. Buyers purchase strictly according to quality, and, with grading-, .the business would be greatly facilitated. ' During the last few years the use of ;casem for manufacturing purposes has ■increased enormously. For instance, in German paper mills the machinery has been altered 60 that only-casein can be used in the varied processes of making the several papers for winch casein is required'. Everything points to the use of casern being on the increase. ' It is coming into use for artificial foods for human consumption, amongst' others, -lactorin, which 'contains 78 per cent, ol r'casein;' and. sanatpgen, which contains 95 per cent. There is also" plasinon, casein food, and many others. , '. /High Continental Value of Skim-milk. '

Tho production of casein is likely to deprease iri- Europe in the future, Mr. Pedersen considers, 'for the reason that skim-milk is 'beiiig used-more and more as a: food product, and therefore has a greater, market value than it - has in -a country.like New Denmark alone uses 500,000,0001b. of .skim-milk imnuolly.for tho making .of .. skim-milk cheese. When-th'e"maiiufac!iurc'-,qf. casein was'commenced,''about 'one-third'of this skim-milk was converted into casein. A result of ' this Jias been to increase tho price' of skim-milk cheese 1 , the -manufacturer of which pays the farmer Is. 3d. per 1001b. of skiin-milk. Jt is obvious that when the value , of skim-milk cheeso advances, less casein will be made, and this factor, .Mr..-Pedersen points out, will always have the effect of maintaining tlio value of casein on European markets. So strong:has this tendency been of late that a number of Canish casein factories have turned their attention 'to the making of skiin-inilk cheese. Then, again, Germany-is'importing skim-milk for feo<l purposes. Ifr. Petersen mentions that lio .visited one factory in Hamburg which was purchas.ing large quantities of skimmilk at 2}d. per gallon net; What is tak-ing-place in Denmark is also taking placo in. other European buttermaking countries.: ; /(j .■■••;•..• Good Prospects for New Zealand. ' ■After 'enlarging on the many uses for skiin-milk in Europe, •Hγ. Pedersen goes on. to' state that, taking everything into consideration; the outlook for casein manufacture in ;Ve«'. Zealand appears to be good. Casein should become an important: factor in connection with the dairying.indjistry'of the .Dominion. : ' Mr... Pedersen's. report also- deals .with the, preparation of.rennet casein, the demand for'- , which by tho manufacturer is considerable.", ■ ;■■ ■ . : , The method : : of casein, preparation, reports .-Mr., Pednrsen,. now trecognised as the.most successful, is that known as tho la'ctic-acid system.- ,This.is the discovery -ti'discovery! which.has not been patented—of Mr.. 0. AVerinewold,;. a dairy: expert iri the employment,'of. the Danish Government. ■.' Sir. -Pedergen's; method -of-: investigation was the thoraugii one of.- actually working at the process in--the-leading pentres.'of; manufacture.- !. .V. .; ;The'. : reportsgoe.s. thoroughly, into tho technicalities.',o( • casern' manufacture 'on the: most approved .principles. With this information at 'their- oqmmand, .and. Sir. Pedersen's. .first-hand , : T£uowledge,. gained from'nis practical' experience in' the-best E,urdpeiin,factories,..New .Zealand, dairy factory managers -.should, be' able •to make casein of the highest quality. Mr. Pedersen; also furnishes'a ■full description of the correct method of .analysing casein, to'determine.its market value, as v;ell as complete-- details' of tho most up-to-date plant and'drying factories together with specifications and the cost. It is'tbe intention of the ..Agricultural Departments publish Mr. Pedersen's full report;in. pamphlet-form;' J ; .. .