DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 346, 10 July 1930, Page 6

DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

THE HAMILTON MEETING. One of Best Held. Interesting comments on the meeting of the Dairy Association in Hamilton were given by Mr. Madsen, of the Sunny Park Factory to a representative of the Record. In Mr. Madsen’s opinion, the conference, so far as the cheese side of it was concerned, was one of the best yet held. After discussion it had been decided to make a recommendation that a grading’ bonus ori cheese, according to quality, be paid. The idea of the scheme was that a levy be made on all produce manufactured. This money would be pooled and used for payment of the bonus at the rate of 5d per crate for each half point in grading from 90a points to 95 points. In this connection it is interesting to note that for some years past the leading factories have averaged slightly over 93 in grading marks, while Te Poi has averaged round about 92. With a view to making conditions as even as possible the pool would not be a national one, but the Dominion would be split up into groups, with, say, factories supplying the Auckland grading stores as one group. This would obviate the uneven condition of a North Auckland factory competing with a Wellington or Southland factory. The suggestion had been enthusiastically adopted, and there was a keen recognition of the fact that quality had to be improved so that New Zealand cheese would hold its own on the world’s market.

Another interesting decision was to endeavour, as a preliminary, to get factories to grade milk supplied this coming season. This grading will be done on a scientifie basis, and not left to the grader’s judgment. The system is by microscopic and methylene blue test. These tests are arranged to discover the amount of bacteria in the milk supplied. Under the microscope the bacteria would, of course, be .counted by eye. Under the methylene blue test, which is recommended, the milk is coloured with the blue and the secretion from bacteria causes the milk to turn white again; According to the time taken to neutralise the colour, so the quantity of bacteria in the milk are estimated, pure milk, of course, remaining blue. Mr. Madsen has unofficially used the methylene blue test for years, and this test, recommended by the Massey College, is the one which will he used at Te Poi; if, as is quite likely, grading of milk is adopted for the coming sea- j son.

Interesting samples were shown by Massey College experts at the conference to refute the suggestion that pasteurisation resulted in poor cheese. At the college three vats of cheese were made. The first val; being from pasteurised milk, the second from milk treated by the slow method (i.e., treated to a lower temperature over a longer period), and the third from unpasteurised milk. The various cheeses were kept for four months and then cut, and, according to Mr. Madsen, no expert could tell the difference between any of them.

In regard to standardisation, the report from Massey College was that so far they had failed to discover anything to account for openness in cheese. Standardisation was not regarded as detrimental to Dominion cheese provided it was carried out in a proper manner. This was the view after hearing Mr. Singleton, who re-

ceived regular reports from agents at Home, and the Massey College experts, who collaborated with Mr. Singleton. In Mr. Madsen’s opinion expert after expert had riddled the views put forward by Mr. P. O. Veale, who had little to substantiate his theories. Everyone attending the conference had been impressed by the large amount and wonderful nature of the work being done by the experts at Massey College.