56 Third Annual Report of the 



FILLED CHEESE. 



Much of the depression that has existed in the cheese market 

 during the past season is undoubtedly due to the large amount 

 of what is known as " filled cheese •' that is put upon the market. 

 Under our restrictive laws none of this product is made in the 

 State of New York but, from the best available data, many million 

 pounds have been made during the past year in the State of 

 Illinois and have found their way into the market, proving a very 

 serious competitor of the genuine article. 



As was true of oleomargarine, so of filled cheese. When people 

 know what they are buying very little of it can be sold, but, as 

 put upon the market, it is put up in such fraudulent form as to 

 readily deceive purchasers, and much the largest part of it is sold 

 to the people who believe at the time of purchasing it that they 

 are buying full cream cheese. Filled cheese is made from milk 

 from which the natural fats have been removed and an emulsion 

 consisting of cheap grades of lard or other fats or butter sub- 

 stitutes, and when made fresh it is not easy to detect it and it 

 passes quite readily as a fair grade of cheese, but after a short time 

 it is apt to become rancid and to show a lardy flavor. The sale of 

 this product has done much to discredit our American cheese 

 in foreign markets, and the attention of the public has from time to 

 time been called to the growing evil;, through our foreign consular 

 service in Great Britain and other countries, where it has been put 

 upon the market, and through the national Department of Agri- 

 culture at Washington. Its sale has increased to that extent that 

 it has become a very threatening evil, and it is believed that it 

 has had more to do with the low prices of cheese during the past 

 season than any other one thing. As the foreign buyers know that 

 cheese shipped from this country is not subject to any govern- 

 mental inspection they have all of our product under suspicion. 



I am happy to state that at this time there is a fair prospect 

 of this matter being under national regulation. Cheese makers and 

 those interested in the trade have at last awakened to the situa- 

 tion and there has been a very earnest and persistent effort during 

 the past season to subject this commodity to proper regulations. 



