BUTTER GRADING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 237, 25 June 1918, Page 8

BUTTER GRADING

' ' 'AN EXPERT ON ITS VALUE; In an article on/'Butter Grading," i \ Mr. L. T. Muclimcs, 1 of the New South ; _ Wales Dairy Division,, writes interesting- ! . ly of the educational-aspect of the matt ' ter. as follows:— , . ~ ;. i'' Apart "from ■ tlie use to which grad-' ! ing has been put for commercial pur'r-; po6es, wa have also been enabled lo i make it a means of distributing mnc'n ; information to those interested in tlie manufacture of dairy produce. - Such in- ;. structions are sent out to factory manI,' , agers, and also to the field staff of inv ! structors attached to the dairv branch ! of-the Department, of Agriculture. When r grading a parcel of butter, the expert ! official who docs the' work not only j ' allots points to denote the Taluo, but i .also enters in''his . notebook remarks ; > covering; any 'defeels he may nolice in i; the manufacture or flavour of the box ' which is.examined. Under the dairy I Industry Act each box of butter packed f •ft the-factory -must bear marks sliow- . . ing, the number of the churn or cream v?t and the date of manufacture. This 1 enables the saniiile of each churn or ••V cream vat to be examined and reported , ' on. While the State was'carrying out the grading of export butter on belmlf ; ■of the Commonwealth, we made a praci tice of entering up' these churn marks , - ; on;our grade advices and of letting the ■ factory know the' qualitv under each ! > mark, and the defects, if any. Sinco ; the Commonwealth authorities'took over *■ the grading at the end of last .year, and ( have carried it but themselves, Iliey vhave omitted to give this information to > w»e. manufacturers. As .factory maii- ; . . ftjers keep, a daily record, of-jthe but ter ■ manufactured, showing the essential de- •; tails,-; such as churning temperatures, r V'- water temperatures,, and acidify of !• cream, together with anj snecial remarks on the quality of .ihe cresm 1 graded at the (lie information r .'which we.were abtato>.ive themj-show.' , ing : the quality of eacli-lot of butter 1 I eliurned. was of the utmost value,-au'd-l ■ • the. action of the Federal authorities in • .discontinuing this practice -has deprived : - them of'a most inmortaut mean's of in- : struction. In order to make up for this in part, the State has sent out the • fullest information, possible on all-but- ! v tep:.placed on'the local- tnarlrct which it i has.beenflossible.-tvi;exami r he. .By l)eing.' J ' Jl a position to 'give "the manufacturer ! i fullest ■ fnfc^*rri(\tidn;' On Hie defects i ' noticed ;.ih . his butter, it lias been .'fiosi siblo to enable him to effeej; remedied! ■ and < by' keeping the ; - irsh'iictional 'staff J of- tho Department in', daily touch with the- quality of tlie. output of at! fac- ' tories in their respective districts, we nave been, enabled to'-give much .valuable aid and instruction to factory managers, thereby helnin<r them to improve r the quality of their on tout. "TJnder the t)niry Industry Act it is provided that ajl cream.delivered to. a ••••/ must be graded into'at. le<ist : ; twp qualities, fainted and, untainted. ; ' The manufacturer has to ' churn each . grade /part, and to. pack (he. butter . made under.a brand to correspond Withi ■ the quality of-the'Cream churned/ This m'tter, when itS market, Is ;- check-graded, by .a/ competent Government (grader, and,- if-the-quality on ex- ; nmiimtion is fomid to be different to the ; description placed oii the'-box, such trade ! description is amended, to agree with ''the grade of the"butter, and.the factory : manager and the cream grader concerned are called, nE!>n to give an explanation as to Why they have contravened the regulations of the. Daiyy Tndustrv Act. The ; effqots of grading on. such strict lines for. j quality purposes has been to greatlv.in- ; creaflo the auality. of. the butter placed i. ; local and 'ex-port markets. The lmpqrtance- .of correct', cream grading cannot 'be too strongly pressed. It is a | basis' of,'the successful manufacture of : good quality butter." '