THE VALUE OF CASEIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1661, 13 January 1917, Page 4

THE VALUE OF CASEIN.

METHOD OF EXTRACTION,

SOME OF ITS USES

Now that casein is being extracted in the Waikato, Taranaki, and other parts of New Zealand, increasing attention is being directed by our dairymen to this valuable by-product. One argument used ngainst casein manufacture is that the food value of the milk for calves is seriously affected, but, as this article shows, that is more.than fully compensated for by the enhanced price obtained for the butter-fat; at the same time the food value of the milk can be easily replaced with pollard, so that the calves should not suffer.

It is not generally realised (hat most of the hair-combs worn nowadays are the product of the cow. They, with dozens of other things in everyday use, such as the handles of the table-knives, buttons on oar clothes, patent tonic mixtures for the building-up of the human nerves, brain, and body, billiard bails, and almost every article which used to be made from ivory or bone, arc made from casein, which in turn is extracted from cows’ milk. The people handling casein have more orders than they can possibly hope to fill, and the price being paid to them for it is one of the surprises of the war.

Ten or eleven years ago the name casein was one which a few scientists used among themselves, but since that time the use that has been made of the 'proteid of milk, which is the chemists’ way of referring to the matter, is only equalled by the progress of aviation. To-day the price is nearly three times higher than it was five years ago —£68 to £7O a ton.

Casein is merely the nitrogenous matter of milk. It is extracted from skimmed milk by the use of acids, either sulphuric or acetic, which causes it to coagulate and sink to the bottom. After the casein has been precipitated the whey, which is the liquid residue, is syphoned off whilst the curdy portion is preserved. That is pressed, and is finally divided by grinding and drying. After the casein has dried it is granulated and the bulk of it sent away overseas, where there is an ever-increasing market for it. At the present time most of the casein being produced is being used in the manufacture of paper. It is casein that gives that fine surface which is seen in the best qualities of writing paper. It takes the place of glue, and is said to he far superior in every respect. It is also used as a varnish for certain kinds of paper, as an extremely fine gloss may be obtained with it. Next in importance is its use for buttons, knife handles, and hair-combs.

Casein makes the best waterproof and hard-setting glues, and in this form large quantities are being made use of in the manufacture of three-ply wood. For years the obtaining of the right quality of glue for this work held up the manufacture of ply woods, but now that industry is firmly established. Even in biscuit-making casein is largely used as an ingredient having nutritious value. Most of the brain and nerve tonics are largely composed of casein. In the making of buttons the casein is treated with acids, and then moulded into the desired shape.

Each factory where the milk is separated collects the milk in vats, and the compressed curd is taken away on the spot. Then by a east system of train or motor waggon delivery the deposit is taken to the factory. The transit needs to he fast in hot weather, as the deposit will not always keep good. By the manufacture of casein the food .value of the milk for calves is, of course, affected,'hut those factories ■which deal in casein can afford to pay the producer as much its 2Ad per lb. of butter-fat more than those that do not. Therefore the dairy-farmer stands to make a big profit by dealing with those factories which go in for the recovery of casein. It is a mistake to think that the milk is robbed of all its food value, because the whey left behind after the casein process still contains a fair quantity of milk sugar, which is of high value to young stock.