Milk Standardisation

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 248, 2 August 1928, Page 5

Milk Standardisation

ENLIGHTENING CANDOUR. Practice in Taranaki Factories. Part-skimming Done. Mr. H. D. Macdonald, of Hawera, has the following- interesting letter in the Star:— “ In the columns of the Star ‘ Old Farmer ’ tells you that you can take it from him tiiat thinning down the rich milk is not a success. Can he prove that to be true ? Can our garrulous friend 4 Pro Bono Publico ’ prove it? Or can Mr. Veale prove that statement to be correct? Assertion is not proof. I have carefullyperused Mr. Veale’s report as it appeared in the Star and can find no proof therein that part-skimming would not be quite successful. I do not wish to criticise Mr. Veale’s research work. What he did I believe he did well, but from the position of one who believes in part-skimming or standardisation of milk some of his comparisons are not of much value. As a case in point, take his table A of comparisons of payments for milk. He ignores entirely the value of the butterfat in whey, nor does he attempt to compute the value of the excess butterfat as first-quality butter in the event of standardisation of milk. Perhaps such a procedure was outside the scope of the test. But it must be admitted that the value of the test is correspondingly decreased, and that in table A the position of apparent superiority of the Friesian is fictitious. From Iris criticism it would appear that ‘ Pro Bono Publico ’ is unable to discern Mr. Veale’s opinions from his research work. I value Mr. Veale’s research work much more than I value his opinions, and I, too, 4 Pro Bono Publico,’ must surely have that 4 inordinate assurance ’ that you gush of, for I, with others, think that Mr. Veale is quite wrong in his suggested remedy—as much wrong as when he advised dairy farmers to put a lOin-deep gutter in front of the bails, to carry the milk direct to the cans by pipe line (discarding the recognised milch chuting), and to put the can lids on as soon as possible, and to keep them on all night. “ Finally, might I ask your correspondents if they are aware that a certain amount of part-skimming is being done every year by some factory managers in Taranaki, and that they produce an article with as good or better quality and texture as those who do not skim ? The amount of skimming being done at the present time is very limited, because the process is at present illegal. But we should unite in urging the Government to remove the embargo on skimming-down, while still retaining the 50 per cent, butterfat basis for cheese. I am aware that this 50 per cent, fat basis for cheese is strongly opposed by some Friesian breeders, because without the assistance of the Jersey breeder they cannot produce a cOnsistently-legal cheese. Nevertheless, quality should come first, and, to quote 4 Factory Manager,’ 4 waterlogged ’ cheese should not be allowed to occur at all.”