Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-10-30
Rotten Cheese.

State Dairy and Food Commissioner
III. c. Thom claims to have made a
startling discovery in a cheese factory
In this county and exposes method of
manufacturing rotten cheese, a vile
mixture which is characterized as Gun
fit even for hogs" In answer to ques-
tions put to him in Milwaukee last
Thursday, in reference to thessmatter,
the Commissioner said as published in
The Sentinel:
eve have reason to believe that it
exists in several localities, but the case
to which | have direct reference is at
Aztalan, In Jefferson county, in Camp
bell q Hutchens' cheese factory I
visited the factory few days ago and
| found large number of farmers deliv-
ering milk. There were four separators
running and the cream was being ex-
tracted from the milk rapidly. The
skinned milk was then run into a
large vat to be made into cheese. About
a pound of stinking butter was added
to each 100 pounds of milk, and quail
ity of cheese produced which is well
calculated to ruin the cheese industry
of Wisconsin. Forty to fifty pounds of
butter are put into sheet-iron can and
the can placed in a tightly-covered
barrel. A steam pipe is then inserted
into the barrel and the butter melted
to OIL 1t is then poured into half a
barrel of the skinned milk and the
whole heated to 100 degrees Fahren-
heit, and run directly into the large vat
of milk. Sufficient rennet is then added
to coagulate the milk before the COM
pound has time to rise to the surface.
Thus the butter fat, if such it may be
called, is kept in the curd and carried
into the cheese"
Relative as to who would be most
likely to eat the cheese thus made,
Commissioner Thorn said:
"Home consumers, of course Tt
could not be shipped to foreign mar
kets. 1t would be rotten before it
reached the hands of the consumers
there, or would possess a smell by the
side of which Limburger would be as
altar of roses. Such cheese must find
home consumption, and very close at
home too. 1t will not stand warm
climate. 1t must stay in the North It
will be mainly eaten in Wisconsin. It
is made so cheaply that local dealers
can get it much cheaper than good
cheese can be made, and thus it's quick
consumption is assured. While it is
new the excessive use of rennet will
neutralize the taste of the grease and
give it a semi-favor of old cheese"
The effect upon the dairy interest of
Wisconsin was thus stated:
"It would be utter ruin to the indus
try. It would not only destroy the in
dustry, but enough of it would get out
of the state to ruin the reputation of
try. The welfare of the dairy busin ess in
the state demands that it be stopped"
The commissioner further said:
81 shall give them all of the law
which applies to them, and if present
laws are not strong enough, | think
public sentiment will demand the en-
actment of stronger ones"
"Do the proprietors of the factory i'm
"No. The factory is run on a CO.
makers get double pay-pay for max
ing the butter and also for the cheese.
| talked with many Of the farmers
there, and they knew nothing about
the process in the factory. They SIM
ply know that they get so much money
at the end of each month, and that
their receipts are larger than are those
| who patronize honest factories. Thus
the system becomes a double menace
to the industry. 1t Ittempts the farmers
with high prices, and puts the most
| pernlciors product ON the market.
The best quality of creamery butter is
made, which might also serve in a
measure to help sell the cheese, pur-
chasers presuming that as the butter is
of best quality, the cheese must also be
J good"