QUALITY OF EXPORT CHEESE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 10

QUALITY OF EXPORT CHEESE.

SOUTH 'ISLAND ATTITUDE!

The matter of tiro complaints as to the quality of New Zealand cheese arriving > oil the London market, and what, steps ; (shall be taken to effect improvement, is , to be discussed at the annual meeting ot the South. Island Dairy Association 011 J uno 1; at which meeting tlio Dairy Comlnisaionor ■ (Mr. D. Cuddie) and his assistant :.(Mr. W: 31. Singleton) mil the present, Representatives of the Cheese- j makers' Association have also been askett 'to be present. Referring to tins matter, f ' the annual report of the association says, j ".For the,'first time tho quality of oui } c'tacse arriviug in London, has been sei - ] tusly compl lined ot. Mr.fright, of th New Zealand Dairy Dmsicn ,-n Lo)udoi, has- found ■'these complaints to be _w~ I | founded in nvanv.case?,-and has <)uiy act TfaS Mr Cuddie, Dairy .CQmm.ss.Mer,. j who issued a strongly-worded and plau statement to factories Hi a circular dateu . March 1, 1913. V l I "The -faults complained of aie bad _ flavours* aiwl'openness 111 the T Vorth < ness, and too moist, cheese; InUeiWm ' Hand, some factories were adwea to (,-t • more moisture Mp W.r ■] advice was .against that of the! Dai 7, Division. This practice nem _ i any extenl .in '.} he. fcouth Ista.j hut VM , must plead guilty to some of tho Jl ;h.r faults and try to remedy +hc l I".' ipffii,® i main remedy-is to be found a f better and clcaner. flavoured milksiip plied .'to the; faetoTies, and tins l as all iilon"' Iren our main difficulty. Ihe 10l iowin" extract: from Mr.. Cuddy's circular will, help in considering tins impoitant .'Thi-re are several' most- , important i matters connected • with . the praont Potion, of the. cheese industry in tlus coun try which it is dfcsired to bring under the notice of dairy companies and others conCC '' U '&tuce the warmer weather set in this fen'oi'.,' much too large a ferior cheese has been .°?P ort ?A/ ro ? 11I u® Dominion. Unfortunately. this . Jaultj ' produce lias been more in evidence ._m cheo-e from the provinces of laranala and Auckland, although that fromother . districts has been afifacted to some c\te '' t; The early shipments of tjhis «^ n ® f cheese are nov being marketed in London, rud cable'.advico has rtochcd w> wilhm the last few days from Mr Wright, Inspector of' New Zealand dairy prodnc?. m London,which, confirms'tho ' of our officers on the quality of_ tho pioduce before it was loaded into the Homegoing steamers. It appears that the traote. is making serious complaint' about the quality .of our cheese at the present time, on examination at this end much of the produce was found to be of poor flavour, kucli as would undoubtedly increase wiih. at>e. Tlien, again, the body of many of tfie cheese.was too weak for an export faults that have been complained of can safely bo put down to orcje or more of three causes—viz., (1) inferior milk, (2) over-anxiety to increase the yield ot tiheese, awl (3) lack, of cool storage and the unsatisfactory carriago chetso to the final port in New Zealand. '"-Is to the need for more care m •handling the milk on. many farms, and the thorough cleansing of all dairy utensils; >iuuch 'has already becil! written and wiid on thlo subject.' The experiences ot the dairy instructors tliis year prove conclusively tli.it Hi ere is yet a great deal of Toom for improvement in this cefnnec■lion. Many of tho milking machines in u«o have b?en found on inspection to tie in n <leplorably insanitaiy state, and in some cases parts of them have liad to bo taken to the factories for cleaning. There is not tlio slightest doubt that tho dirty condition of a large number of these machines is a serious menace to our dajty industry. Some are found to be so very unclean that At would impossible for milk) to pass through them without be("imin" bally contaminated 1 and so spoiled a» to bo totally unfit for the making of prod cheese. The rejection of such milk at all costs is .tlio .only effective cure for tliß "vil, and managers of factories should I)-.' given a free hand in this matter in the interest not only, of those wli > deliver .'••'.lind milk to tiio factories, but also of the reputation of the particular hrand and.:tho good name' of Nlew Zealand cheese. •' , " 'The attempts that are being made to abnormally increase tho yield of clieese are proving "disastrous, and if continued will end in heavy financial loss. No further comment on this point is necessary, as the remedy is obvious/" In conclusion; t'ho report says; "In connection with this question of quality of cheese it. has. always.been .disappointing to .cheesematers and others interested in this, matter, and who, do make a highclass article, that so far the high-clasi

article, when account sales are compared, brings .'nothing more tlian what we know to 1)0 a secondary or oven third-class article, All, good, hail and indifilcrent, seems to lx> sold as New Zealand cheese, at a certain price. Doubtless, the grocer or merchant who buys, the cheese picks the best, but so far-as thb factory is concerned the. same uniform price comes to all, although the real difference in value may be 3s. to 4s. ner- cwt. "Some of- the Teports sent out by selling •agpnts. are ridiculous. They report ail and 'sundry .its .'clean flavouir,' and pome wo know to be quite otherwise.- Some arc evidently afraid to ran down the cheese, as if they dp so they don't Ret the factories' consignments again. This state of matters" has often 'causal ono to doubt ■the. genuineness of complaints as to quality, Imt. our'own New Zealand inan in London- (Jlr. Wright) \is absolutely reliable; and what ho says'-is true,' and it is for 'us to apply the'.remedy.'' '