Show PREVENTS MOULD IN BUTTER the important losses in butter through the growth of mold upon the tub lining wrapper or in the butter its itself c if which injures the salability of the product have led the U S department of agriculture to investigate vesti gate this subject mold in butter batter is usually found in 1 n three forms 1 orange yellow areas with some growth of mycelium under the surface 2 smudge or dirty green areas either cither entirely inside the butter or with some surface growth 3 green surface co colonies onies e either aber upon the butter caus causing sing decomposition or upon the cn or wrappings which wm w jl injure the appearance of the butter experiments in producing molds artificially in samples of butter indicate that a growth of mold in or about butter is favored by excessive curd by leaky butter or by wet surfaces wet wrappings or highly moist air if butter molds readily it is an indication of insufficient salting as salt up to 25 to 3 per cent is ig sufficient to prevent mold or reduce it to a negligible amount the growth of molds moreover is largely reduced by keeping the butter at low temperatures improper storage temperatures accompanied as they frequently are with moist conditions are favorable to mold in butter unsalted butter is more subject to deterioration from micro organ isms iams than salted butter successful storage of such butter is therefore dependent upon scrupulously clean dry refrigeration cellars and ice refrigeration rarely furnish conditions which will prevent mold in unsalted or slightly salted butter although it may be delayed or reduced butter properly made and normally salted up to 25 to 3 per cent equivalent to the use of a 12 to 15 per cent brine will not show mold under reasonably careful handling investigators in summarizing their results emphasize the fact that well washed butter is less subject to mold than that with an excess of curd but the es factor in molding seems to be water not protein leaky butter from which v milky water exudes and collects in the wrapper or container furnishes the best conditions for the beginning of mold growth from these wet areas to colonies lonies may spread to the butter itself mold the investigators find will not grow upon the surface of a piece of butter exposed to air at ordinary the water in the butter is not sufficiently available to the mold to support the development of a colony unless evaporation is reduced by a high moisture conten of the surrounding air in closed packages wet or damp cellars or carelessly packed ma masses s with cracks or fissures in in which moisture colle collects c ts mold may seriously injure the appearance of the packages or actually induce great bli changes anges in the butter itself green molds may damage normally salted butter if cracks and open spaces are left by bad packing other investigators have found that fining the tubs or boxes prevents mold on the container and the liner by preventing the escape of water which would leave the air space necessary for mold growth very moderate salting prevents the appearance bearance ap pe arance of the orange yellow patches and the smudges the green molds affect normally salted butter only when it is held under conditions of temperature or moisture that are favorable to mold growth |