“FISHY” BUTTER ORGANISM

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2058, 1 May 1907, Page 4

“FISHY” BUTTER ORGANISM

Tho N.S.W. Dairy Expert has made a close study of tho causes of “fishy” butter, and he is of the opinion that “fishy” butter is mainly, if not entirely, caused by the micro-organism known to bacteriologists as “odium lactis.” This germ may oxist in newly-made butter and show no traces of its presence to tho ordinary butter taster; but if the butter is stored above 20 deg. Fall, the conditions are favorable to its growth, with the result that the objectionable flavor asserts itself, and the butter is utterly unfit for table use. With butter for export this organism becomes a most injurious one, for if the butter containing it has not been well worked, and the butter held in cold store at a low temperature from manufacturer to tho consumer, its presence is detected, and tho brand becomes an undesirable one. The germ may be introduced into the cream, and if it is delivered to the factory from the farm only three or four days a week it soon becomes most pronounced. One can suffices to contaminate a whole churn and the trouble soon manifests itself. In these, cases it is not so difficult to trace the mischief to its source and eradicate it; but in cream that is sent to tho factory daily quite sweet, and is treated by the butter-maker as if it were free of odium lactis, then the trouble arises at a later stage, when a lot of harm has been done.

In co-operative butter production—and that is now practically the universal system—the suppliers’ -clean cieam is manufactured with the bad, and all alike suffer. It is a matter of great importance, therefore, that the presence of the germ should be discovered if possible prior to manufacture. If not, then as soon after manufacture as possible, in order that the butter may not go on to the overocean markets and secure a bad name. Butter-grading comes in at this point, and much as a factory manager or butter-maker may feel chagrined at Ids butter being awarded low points and put in the second clasp, it is far better than it going forth as best butter and turn out “fishy” at the other end.

Australian butter-makers have many adverse conditions to contend against and they need to have the raw material of the very highest quality to work with. If they are not supplied with the best of -cream, and their factories and appliances suitable for turning out choice creamery butter, then loss sooner or later accrues. The trial of the butter often takes place before it is received in cold store or is passed into the chambers of the over-ocean steamers. Dealing with that phase of the subject, in the March Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. Mr. O’Callaghan, especially with regard to butters that come to Sydney pci- coastal steamers, says:—“Sometimes our -coastal boats get bar-bound, and then the butter is peril axis held] for four or five days at a temperature above 50. F., with the result that!

tho butter which harbored tho microorganisms to which fishiness is due, I arrives in Sydney in an advanced stage of fishiness. Recently more than 1000 boxes of butter were affected in this way. One of my grading officers sent a telephone message, saying bo wished me to come down and look at two parcels—one a lino of 200 boxes of fishy butter, and on proceeding to tho other grading sioro 1 found 300 boxes from the same district similarly affected. Tho interesting feature of this case was that, from bacteriological investigation in tho laboratory, 1 had known for a couple of wooks previous—and in fact had warned the 'Company and tho graders—that the butter from tho factory in quostion had contained for some weeks previous the organism of fishiness, and that only favorable conditions were necessary for the article to turn out fishy. 1 have since had nows from London that some of these earlier lots had proved fishy on arrival in England, though tho graders, at tho time of shipment, were unable to detect anything in tho way of fishiness. I examined theso butters myself, and had no suspicion that they would go fishy; but immediately I saw the result of the bacteriological analysis, I know that if the temperature of tho butter on board the steamer was not down to 20. F., or if the butter was held for a lew days in any ordinary store in England before its final sale, it would be certain to bo fishy before tho consumer had used it.” Touching on the question of unsalted butter and its equal proneness to develop fishiness with the salted article if the micro-organism causing the trouble is present, tho export says that some factory managers and others have been in the habit of attributing fishiness in some way tb salt. This theory has been knocked out since we began to export unsalted butter in quantity. Many consignments of unsalted butter have turned out fishy in London, and if any further evidence was wanted it was furnished by the delay of tho coastal boat above referred to. On this occasion, the factory that suffered most had both unsalted and salted butter on board, and the worst of tho lot Trns a line of unsalted butter. It may have been the oldest, but it was too fishy to bo of any use for first-class table butter.