THE ALL IMPORTANT CREAM CAN

Shannon News, 15 March 1927, Page 1

THE ALL IMPORTANT CREAM CAN

WHY IT SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY WASHED. The average dairy farmer to-day is well up-to-date in the methods that will enable him to deliver cream to the factory in the best possible condition. He knows the . need for washing the cows' teat s carefully, the thorough cleaning of the milking machine and separator, and a covered cream stand at the roadside, but how many realise the extent to which the flavour of the cream is governed by the sanitary and suitable condition of the cream can? The average herd is milked and the cream separated in two or three hours, but the cream is held in the can for a much longer period. The evenings cream is at least 15 hours in the can by the time it arrives at the factory, w'here cream collection is made daily. It is often taken too readily for granted that because the cans are washed and steamed at the factory they are fit for immediate use just as they are returned. Experience teaches otherwise and even where the cans have been well washed and steamed, it will b e found, on removing the lid (which is mostly jammed on tight, to keep dust out) that there is a "canny” or "dishcloth” smell.

Quite a large proportion of cream fail 3to grade finest on account of “can smell.” Metallic flavour in both milk and cream is caused by rusty cans. Thi s is due to the action of the acid on the steel of which the cans are made. This action is very rapid in milk cans in which whey is brought home from the factory. Where cream is held for two days on the farm before delivery this flavour becomes very pronounced Metallic flavoured cream is always second grade because the resultant butter has always a tendency to go fishy. Suppliers having rusty cans should return them to the makers and have them re tinned. It should therefore, b e accepted that the onus of a clean and suitable cream or milk can rests with the farmer. '