A NEW INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1739, 2 May 1913, Page 8

A NEW INDUSTRY.

MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR OF MILK.

An attempt 'is shortly-to bo hjade, says the "Ot-ago Times," to manufacture sugar uf -milk from -whey, on commercial lines. A plant for the-purpose is to be erected et lidendole, at an estimated cost oWSSOO.. Sugar of milk,- chemically termed lactose, is used in tiio preparation of humanised milk lor infant feeding,-and it also enters largely -into tho .' manufacture ot infants' -and invalids' patent foods. There is a large and growing demand for it, and at present.the British market is supplied from Germany, Holland,- and Denmark, wliero the raw material is not only dear, Tout comiot' be obtained in such largo quantities as in New Zealand;- Owing to this sugar of milk would bo made liero, exported to England, and sold at a price at which'the Continental manufacturers cannot afford to sell it; In tho manufacture of cheese, when the milk has been curdled tlio whey is run off.. This ■whey contains Sugar of milk and a small percentage of cream. The larger factories in New Zealand'now separate this cream, end make it into first-class butter. .Little ds left in tho whey then except sugar of milk, and at some factories most of •this whey is run into tlie river. > •The increasing demand for sugar of milk decided two chemists—Mr. F. Finlayson-, of Christclnirch, and Mr. J. G. Neil, of Dunedin— l to consider, the advisability of starting works for the manufacture of sugar of milk in New Zealand. After an inspection of all the cheese districts'of the Dominion the Edendale-Wyndham district wis found to be the most suitable. Tho processes employed in America and on ■the Continent 'bavo been, modified to suit lccil V quantities, and designs have been fcecurecl of an up-to-date milk _• sugar works, which will have four or five times tho capacity of any existing works.' Options have been secured over tho output of •whey of the Edendale, Brydone, Mcnzics Ferry, Seaward Downs, Matauia Island, 'and AVynd'haui cheeso factories, and it is the intention of Messrs. Nell and Finlayt- ) i to inime<Hately proceed to form a company 'to manufacture sugar of milk end other milk by-products. In'terms of-, their agreement with tho dairy factories, the company has to be open to public subscription to allow the lklenilalc-Wyndham milk suppliers to take up shares. Considering the thousands of paitnds in the shapo of sugar of . milk that a:-o being " Tun,. into the Mataivra. Biver caeii year,'it is to be hoped (says tho "Times") that the industry will be successful in getting a start, as it means the employment of more labour and more monev coining to New Zealand, instead of going 'to our commercial competitors.