BUTTER INDUSTRY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11652, 22 August 1916, Page 8

BUTTER INDUSTRY.

NEW ZEALAND’S REPUTATION MAINTAINED.

In the course of an interesting report to the Secretary of rgicultnre, Mr D. Cuddie, Director of the Dairy Division, dealing with the butter industry, says:— ~ , rKT - r . The reputation which ;New Zealand holds as a country where creamery’ hntcer of the best quality is made has been maintained for many years. This good name has been built upas the result of strenuous effort on the part of a section of the producers, backed bv practical assistance rendered by the State. It is safe to say that, so far as the establishment of a uniform system of manufacture goes, the New Zealand method is not excelled by any and equalled by few countries where the art of butter-making is a specialised business. The experience of the past year has again demonstrated the principle of the success attained when what is known as the ‘‘whole-milk” system is practised. Those dairy companies whose supply of raw material consists mainly in the delivery of milk either to the central creamery (butter factory) or to the skimming stations have almost without exception turned out a product which would bear comparison with the best article made in any country that might be named—truly a superfine product, which if sold on its merits, with the advantage of an all-the-year-round supply, would hold its own in competition with any other. Unfortunately, the production of this class of butter is steadily hut smely declining in New Zealand. It is almost superfluous to ask the reason why, for the answer is obvious to all who are well acquainted with the change that has aud is still taking place from the whole-milk system of- delivery to that of separating the cream on the farm. The year now closed has amplified in no mistaken manner the danger of accepting cream separated on the farms and held there for two or more davs under conditions which, to say the least, are so harmful that no perishable foodstuff could pass through the process witnont being more or less spoiled. That much good cream is received from many farms is not denied, and to the owners all credit is due. If the same remark could he applied to other cream this ground for .'criticism of this sort would be non-existent. But the age of the cream in many cases is not its worst fault. The real trouble lies much deeper tban that. Improper cleansing of tho utensils, including mechanical milkers, separators, and the premises where the cream awaits despatch to the creamery, is the major cause of inferior butter. Large quantities of cream tainted in flavour and unfit for the production of first-class batter , thus reach the factories, and. these supplies are not rejected, on account of the competition existing between dairy companies and dairy factory proprietors. Only when a delivery may have reached the stage of composition is it rejected. To remedy the general defects in the cream accepted an ingenious process of treatment is resorted to at the factory—namely, neutralisation of the acidity by] means of an alkaline agent,, which is made effective by the application of a high pasteurising temperature. This treatment is only a partial success with much of the cream, and the result is a butter low in grade, which cannot he expected to stave off the margarine danger of replacement. One district in particular has worked up an unenviable distinction for its butter as the direct influence of the method in vogue—namely, the wrong method of home separation., To prevent misunderstanding let it he said that there is a right method of home separation, which is practised on many farms without injury to the product. There is no getting away from the fact that the wrong method of handling the cream on the farms is seriously lowering the quality of our butter, and, further, it has been very marked in certain districts during the year. The position in regard to the butter industry of the Dominion ai present is simply this: the quality in some districts is gradually going back—it has gone back considerably during the past year—-and thus the industry as a whole is being affected by a reduction of the-general average. Unless some united action is taken whereby the cream separated on the farms is handled with more care and sent forward to the creameries at shorter intervals and the element of unhealthy competition minimised, it means a further drop in the quality, followed by a reduction in the market value of the New Zealand batter.