PRESERVATIVES IN BUTTER.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 241, 14 June 1928, Page 6

PRESERVATIVES IN BUTTER.

EFFECTS OF THE LAW. Merchants’ Viewpoint. Letters from London comment on the position that has developed in connection with the ordinance prohibiting the use of preservative in butter in the United Kingdom. The following extracts from a letter received by the Morrinsville Dairy Company from a large firm of merchants are of interest:—

“ The bringing into force of the new law prohibiting the use of preservative is likely to have a far more serious effect upon the butter trade than was ever anticipated by the Government, and it appears that the opposition of the blenders, although founded on theory, was well founded, and to them the results may become very serious.

i “ The one fundamental fact which I the Government inquiry seems to I have either overlooked or else ignored in coming to a decision was J that, although it was proved that much butter from Australia and New Zealand came to London without preservative and was apparently very satisfactory, a good deal of this same butter, before it reached the public, had preservative added to it in the course of blending. “ The definitely-established effects of the new law up to the present are twofold. Firstly, a considerable quantity of Australian butter which has come to the London market this season has definitely lost its ‘ keeping ’ qualities, and blenders have found it necessary to reject many of the ‘ crack ’ brands upon which they have for years relied. The same applies incidentally to the Argentine, and

brands are now being revalued by buyers on the basis of their keeping qualities, which in many cases have yet to be proved. “ The second effect is that the blenders in all directions and in all parts of the country are having considerable trouble with the keeping quality of their blended butter, which is put out in rolls and pats. “ These results have arisen within six weeks of the coming into force of the Act and under weather conditions which have been on the whole favourable for keeping butter, it is obvious that in the summer this trouble must be accentuated. “ The next important point that should be borne in mind is that the blended butter trade of the country represents roughly 42 per cent, of the whole. “ During the summer the blenders will obviously lessen this disability through lack of keeping qualities by using European butters as far as possible in their blend, and even now i fresh-made butters from F.urope are commanding a high premium over Colonial butters, but they are of course at present in very short sup- , ply and not enough to go round. How 1

' far the movement to use European butters will go and what its effect will be on prices and relative values j it is hard tc say, but it seems it ! must put Colonial butters at a disj count as far as the blenders are con- ' cerncd, and the blenders are obvi- ! ously a very important factor in the ! market. “ The obvious thing to do, therefore, is to see how far the blenders’ trade can be substituted by a 1 straight New Zealand butter. There !is no question as to the general ' superiority of the article itself, nor ! is there any question in our opinion •as to the keeping qualities which ! will, we believe, prove to be the dej ciding factor in the mir.d of the ! retailer.” I I ' ' ' ' "