Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-11-04
Notes on Dairying.
Colored Spots In Cheese.

Numerous inquiries have neen re-
ceived by the dairy division OF the
department of agriculture concerning
the disease" Of cheese sometimes call
ed "cheese rust" which Is more or less
oobdwadow dawod wadow dawodwidw
prevalent in certain sections OF this
country and has caused considerable
annoyance and loss to some factories
and dealers. Although this trouble
has been in evidence for number OF
years, 1t has received but little atten-
ton from our scientists and expert
ment stations; and cheese-makers so
unfortunate as to have 1t visit them
have explained 1t in many different
ways and dealt with 1t accordingly.
General Description.-From about
fifty reports received the following
facts are gathered: The affection is no
ticed where white. or uncolored, cheese
Is made. 1t may not appear until AZ
ter the cheese Is sold, but Is usually
first discovered from one to three
weeks after the curd is pressed, when
there may be seen number Of red
to reddish yellow spots on the outside
and throughout the body Of the cheese;
the spots may be detected with the aid
OF a microscope some time pefore they
are visible to the naked eye. These
sometimes seem to be in irregular lay
ers, and when a trier Is inserted pierre
ing the layers rings appear on the plug
withdrawn. If cheese affected In this
way Is cut across the layers 1t is found
to be streaked. The spots increase In
size from day to day and vary from
mere specks to large patches; they are
chiefly in the open spaces, or cells, or
lnterstices, between the pieces Of curd,
and sometimes resemble a sprinkling
OF iron rust or red pepper. In some
cases they are described as being the
size of small shot and are scattered
through the cheese as though they
had been dropped into the curd while
putting to hoop" In other cases they
are as large as silver quarters and oc-
casionally, on the outside of the cheese,
especially at the ends which come In
contact with the shelves, there are
colored patches as large as ones hand.
This trouble occurs in hot weather and
is at its worst in July and August.
Sometimes 1t affects only part Of the
output Of factory, but If it gains
good foothold 1t is liable to be found
in the entire product
Effect of Colored Spots.-So far as
is known, these spots do not have any
effect on the consumer. Professor Con-
nell fed mice with cheese containing
the reddish yellow spots and at the end
OF two weeks they were alive and well.
incubation experiments with guinea
pigs resulted In only slight local In
fammation. But the unsightliness Of
the spots naturally has an unfavorable
effect on sales, and reductions for this
cause from one-fourth to one cent per
pound are not uncommon. Such
shrinkage in returns. together with
loss Of reputation, can be i'll afforded
by any cheese factory and its patrons.
Cause Of Colored Spots.-The cause
Of cheese rust is not generally known,
and 1t is popularity attributed to num-
erous conditions, such as feed or water
given to the cows, tainted milk, adul-
terated milk, rusty spots in milk uten-
sils and watts, too quick ripening, poor
rennet, uneven coloring (when color is
used), uneven cooking. the curd mill,
| unclean benches in the curing room;
in fact, almost everything which comes
in contact with the milk or curd dur
ing manufacture, and almost every
step in the process has been suspected
of being the cause of this disorder. 1t
is sometimes confused with irregular
coloring resulting from the use OF
poor grade of color or improper mix
ing. In recent years cheese rust and
other affections of similar nature have
been carefully studied by hacteriolo-
gists, and they have found that these
troubles are usually caused by differ
ent kinds Of bacteria. The remedy US
ually adopted is to color the cheese so
the spots will be less visible or COM
pletely covered, but this Is not entirely
satisfactory, as it does not correct the
cause, and frequently the market be-
ing supplied demands an uncolored
cheese; sometimes the spots are so bad
that color enough to cover them
would spoil the cheese. Numerous 9TH
er remedies are suggested, based on
the supposed causes given above, but
they are generally theories, and In
most cases would fail in practice. AS
suggested later, Fastening the r.pening
of the milk may have the favorable
effect of retarding the growth OF col
| ored spots.