AMERICAN IMITATION CHEESE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2632, 13 September 1882, Page 3

AMERICAN IMITATION CHEESE.

Mr H. M. Jenkins, secretary of tho Royal Agricultural Society of Great Britain, sends the following letter to the “London Times”

“ In the House of Commons, questions with regard to the importation from America of so-called cheese, made from blue skim-milk, and an admixture of either lard or oleomargarine, were answered by the President of the Board of Trade in a manner which places the Royal Agricultural Society of England in a false position before its members and the public. I therefore beg leave to state the facts of tho case, as the best means of correcting Mr Chamberlain’s statement. “Last April I received two cheeses as a present from tho proprietors of a large cheese factory, one of them made with the bluest skim-milk mixed with lard, and tho other with the same quantity of skim-milk mixed with 0100-margarine. The letters which announced their dispatch gave detailed information as to their mode of manufacture, and showed clearly the probability that a very extensive trade would shortly be established in these articles if their quality proved sufficiently good for the English market. I handed a sample cf each cheese to my colleague, Dr. Yoelcker, as chemist of the society, sent samples to agricultural and commercial experts, and generally endeavored to ascertain the opinion of competent persons upon them. I published in England and wrote to my friends in America that in my judgment the oleomargarine cheese was an excellent imitation of American Cheddar, but that it should be sold under its proper name. Competent judges in the City and elsewhere informed me that if they had not been told the contrary they could not have distinguished the oleomargarine cheese, from ordinary American cheese, and it was variously valued at from 52a to 56s per cwt wholesale, and from 8d to 9d per lb retail. “ After the presentation of Dr. Yoeloker’s analysis and report, the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, on the recommendation of their dairy committee, which was presented by Lord Ycruon, resolved at their meeting on June 7th, “ that a letter be addressed to the Board of Trade urging that steps bo taken to ensure that there descriptions of so-called cheese should be sold under their proper designation.” The letter was addressed by me to tho President of the Board of Trade on the following day, and a copy of Dr. Yoeloker’a report was enclosed in it. But in the House of Commons last night Mr Chamberlain (as reported), while quoting from Dr, Yoeloker’s report, took no notice of the resolution of tho society which accompanied it j but he mentioned a previous expression of opinion by the president (Mr Dent, not Lord Vernon) that care should bo exercised in requesting the interference of the Board of Trade—which statement was made by the President before Dr Yoelcker had presented his report, and in view of tho desirability of awaiting that event.