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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 229, 10 January 1911, Page 7

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NEW ZEALAND BUTTER AT 'FRISCO.

San Francisco, November 311.

There is disappointment among Sail Francisco importers at the failure, of the lir-t -hipniftnt of butter by the Aorangi to pa-s the tests of the I'ure Food Inspector.-. One small lot of some liftccn boxes did pass the test, and the quality was found good-—-o good that the firm to which it was consigned is confident of building lip a permanent trade in New Zealand butter, lint the rest of the shipment was sent back.

With the actual quality 110 fault was found . But the presence of boric acid was detected. Though the percentage was very low —necessarily so, as the shipment bore the New Zealand graders' certificates—it caused the condemnation of the butter. For the pure food laws forbid the importation of food products containing the slightest trace of this preservative. Salt is the only better preservative that may be useql. The lirni of Atkins and Kroll was the fortunate importer of the one lot of butter that was free from boric acid. Ail Auckland company that was familiar with the American requirements had. shipped it. It was just a small trial shipment.

"Tlie qualitv of the butter," lie added, -is exccl'kiit. * In fact, it is equal to tlie best American creamery butter. However, it lias to sell here at a lower price than tilo creamery because it has bieu refrigerated, and all refrigerator butter lias to be branded as such before being placed on sale. But the freezing really didn't hurt its quality. I took some of the butler home, and after a day or two some of it was brought on the table without iny knowing. I couldn't tell any difference from the local butter.

"There was no profit for us in this shipment. I understand the market was exceptionally high in New Zealand this year. The butter cost us about a shilling a pound free on board at Wellington. Perhaps we had to pay more than the regular price because we got the. butter specially packed. "If we could get Xew Zealand butter free on board at anything up to 20 cents | MM) a pound, we could run the business at a profit. There is an i normous duty of ~ix ecu!- n pound, but even with that we civ,M compete with the local cold storage butter, which sells at about, ccnt.s wliulesale. I am hoping that next season, ov perhaps later this s n asou. we I shall lie able to do business-in Xew Zealand. butter."