Quality Aspects of Butter Marketing in South Dakota E
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South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange South Dakota State University Agricultural Bulletins Experiment Station 4-1-1955 Quality Aspects of Butter Marketing in South Dakota E. Feder D. F. Breazeale R. Newberg Follow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins Recommended Citation Feder, E.; Breazeale, D. F.; and Newberg, R., "Quality Aspects of Butter Marketing in South Dakota" (1955). Bulletins. Paper 443. http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/443 This Bulletin is brought to you for free and open access by the South Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bulletins by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. 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BULU:TIN 443 APRIL 1955 Quality Aspects of ·-Butter Marketing_, in South Dakota AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND DAIRY HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENTS AGRICULTURAL E:XPE:RIME:NT STATION SOUTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE: + BROOKINGS Contents Summary ___ _ ___ ___ _ ___ __ ______ ______ ______ ______ ____ __ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _ ____ _ _ __ __ _______ _ ____ ____ _ 3 Introduction ____ ____ __ ______ __ __ ___ ______ _ _____ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _____ _ _ _____ _________ _ 5 Objectives ____ ____________ ______________________ ____________ __________________ ______ ________________________ 6 Scope of Study __________ ---------------------------------------------------------------___________________ 6, Measures of the Quality of South Dakota Butter -------------------------------------- 7 Quality of Butter in Terms of Federal Grades ---------------------------------------- 7 Quality of South Dakota Butter ------------------------------------------------------------ 7 Importance of Butter Flavors -------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Impact of New Federal Standards ------------------------------------------------------ 9 Butter Quality as Measured by Chemical Analyses ------------------------------ 9 Analyses for Acidity ------------------------------------------------------------__________________ 9 Analyses for Butterfat Content ------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Factors Affectingthe Quality of South Dakota Butter---------- ------------------- 11 Procurement ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 Methods of Procurement ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Location of Production ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 Seasonality of Production -----------------------------------------------------------'--------- 14 Relation of Procurement Methods to Quality ------------------------------------ 15 Manufacturing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Butter Production ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Plant, Equipment, and Labor---------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Specialization in Butter Manufacturing ------------------------------·--------------- 21 Size of Plants and Ownership -------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Testing and Grading of Cream ------------------------------------------------------------ 22 Butter Shipment and Storage -------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 Quality of Bulk and Print Butter ---------------------------------------------------------- 24 Destination of Shipped Butter ------------------------------------------------------------ 24 Type of Transportation and Frequency of Shipments ______________________ 25 Storage Fa cili ti es __ ----------------------------------------____________ ------------------------______ 26 Storabili ty of Butter ----------------------------------------_--------------------------------------- 26 Laws and. Regulations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27 Sales Agreements and Returns to Creameries --------------�----------------------------- 28 Sales Agreements for Bulk Shipments ------------------------------------------------ 29 Prices Received for Bulk Shipments ---------------------------------------------------- 30 2 Summary The future well-being of the dairy industry in South Dakota may de pend to a large extent on progress made in improving butter quality. About two-thirds of the dairy output in the state is exported to other states, mostly as bulk butter. Little of this butter qualifiesas Grade A, and a sizeable pro portion of it is below Grade B. Improvement in quality is necessary if South Dakota butter is to command top prices on the wholesale mqrkets. It is particularly important in the light of the increasing competition which butter faces from margarine as a spread. Data for the study were gathered much value in estimating WIA val from a sample of 20 creameries in ues. Results indicate there is some 19 50 and from all of the South Da- relationship between pH and cer kota creameries in 19 51. These data tain flavors detected in butter. shed some light on the relationship A comparison was made of the between butter quality and prices values found on the comparatively received by creameries. The data simple fatty acids titrations and the also provide information on the re- water-insoluble acids test to deter lationship between the different mine whether or not they were suffi measures of butter quality and vari- ciently closely correlated so that the ous cream procurement, processing, fatty acids test could be used in and butter marketing methods pre- place of the WIA test for factory vailing in South Dakota at the time control. However, there was so of the surveys. much deviation of samples from the The butter grading standards es- line of regression that use of the fat tablished by the U. S. Department ty acids test as factory control meth of Agriculture are generally accept- od cannot be recommended. ed as the most satisfactory measure Analyses were made of 28 0 sam of butter quality in common use. pies of butter for fat content. Fifty The Federal Food and Drug Ad- one samples were below the mini ministration depends partly on the mum fat content ( 80 percent). water-insoluble acids ( WIA) tests An excessively high butterfat con to determine whether butter is fit tent was found in a large proportion for human cosumption. of the butter samples. Better control of fat content would result in sub WIA and Federal Grades stantial financial gains for many WIA tests of butter measure the creameries. degree of decomposition. An effort was made to determine the relation- Butter Quality and Creamery ship between WIA and Federal Practices grades. Results show that as Feder- An effort was made to determine al grade declines there is some ten- the relationship between butter dency for WIA values to increase. quality ( measured b y Federal However, the ranges of WIA values grades) and various practices fol were so wide within each grade, lowed by creameries. Res ults indi that the grades would not be of cate that differences in butter qual- 3 ity between creameries are strongly and shipping butter and differences associated with methods followed in sales agreements obtained by in procuring cream. The cream sta creameries. Most of the butter sold tion and direct railroad methods of out of the immediate locality was procurement generally resulted in packaged in boxes weighing from the lower quality of butter than did 60 to 66 pounds. Considerable truck routes and door delivery. A financial loss was incurred by some similar _relationship between qual ity and procurement method was creameries due to failure to fill box found when quality was measured es in accordance with weights in terms of chemical tests. marked on the boxes. Practices fol Location and density of cream lowed in sale of different qualities sales apparently were related to of butter differed among creamer quality to the extent that these ies. Some apparently followed the things were related also to method practice of selling poor grade butter and frequency of cream procure locally. Others sold the better grade ment. locally. Many did not differentiate. Wide differences exist between Sales agreements differed widely creameries in volume of production, a m o n g creameries and many facilities and methods of handling creamery managers were not sure of and processing. Results of the study do not suggest that either size or the nature of their agreements. In type of plant affect quality. How general, creameries which usually ever, practices and control exercised put out higher quality butter re within plants have a material effect ceived more favorable prices for all on the quality of butter produced of their butter, even for lower and on profitability of operations. grades. Uniformity in quality of Information was obtained on dif butter also appeared to command ferent practices followed in storing some price premium. 4 Quality Aspects of Butter Marketing in South Dakota ERNEST FEDER, DELBERT F. BREAZEALE, and RICHARD N EWBERG1 Introduction Quality improvement is one of the foremost problems facing the butter