Adulteration of American Cheese.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2956, 21 July 1888, Page 3

Adulteration of American Cheese.

(Cunferknj Tina,) " Tlk, cheese exported from the United-States to Great Britain is not .'all the real Simon Pure. Several agricultural and other Societies, a number of members of Parliament, ( . and even the Agricultural Department V - of the Privy Council have been mov- ' ing in the rnattov, and from enquiries made it lias been found that somo of our American cousins engaged in the S,. manufacture of cheese have pretty ,V\ elastic consciences. It is stated in a paper issued by tlio. .Agricultural Department of tlio Privy Council that, adulteration of clieeso with animal fats and vegetable oils is practised in the States of Illinois and Wisconsin. Speoial machinery is used in tho cheese factories for this pur-, pose. Centrifugal machines sep-arators-are employed to extract overy particle of cream from the milk, and lard deodorised, or cotton-seed oil, is mixed with tlio skim milk by some steam process. A very fair looking product is tho result of this amalgamation, which is sold in the British market at from 26s to 40s per cwt. While this cheese is fresh it is possiblo for an expert to be deceived and to accept it for full cream clieeso, which ■is sold in the same markets at from 50s to 55s per cwt. Factories of this kind were started in St Lawreuco County for making" filled or enriched •)r. cheeses," in which an emulsion mach- \ ino was used to blend tho fat, or oil, .jJc or skim milkltogether. Public opinion in New York is strongly opposed to these malpractices, and tlio State Legislature lias passed enactments making the manufacture and sale of adulterated clieeso an offence in New York State. Not less a fine than £4O can bo inflicted on conviction, and not higher than £IOO, and the delinquent may be sent to prison lb: one year. Tlio New York Produce Exchange have urged Congress to make adulteration of cheese penal in all territory subject to United States jurisdiction, The cheese export from tho United States to Great Britain has fallen off greatly of recent years, and the decadenre of tlio export is attributed to the prevalence of ' adulteration, which British buyers declino to tolerate. In 1878, Groat Britain tock from America cheese to tho value of ABOG,GI2. In 1887 this export had fallen to £1,817,412, a very marked falling off indeed. With these figures before tliem, it is not to M be wondered at that the Produce ExfmS changes and Dairymen's Associations ■Wrshould agitate for the passage of the National A nti-adultoration Law.