518 BUTTER DEFECTS 



mer, when most of the cows freshen and have access to green 

 pasture, the butter is often so intensely yellow, without any 

 addition of artificial butter color, that it is criticized as being 

 too high in color. This is especially true with butter produced 

 in localities where the Jerseys and Guernseys predominate. 



In the great majority of complaints by the trade, too high 

 color is due to carelessness or accident on the part of the butter- 

 maker. In this case it is caused either by incorrect calcula- 

 tion of the amount of butterfat in the churning on which he 

 bases the amount of artificial butter color to add, or careless 

 measuring of the butter color, or not modifying the proportion 

 of butter color used in accordance with a sudden change in the 

 natural color of the cream, especially in the spring of the year, 

 or a change to a new brand of stronger butter color, or butter 

 color from the bottom of the drum which may contain an ac- 

 cumulation or concentration of the coloring principle due to 

 settling. 



The prevention of these difficulties is obvious. The butter- 

 maker should constantly bear in mind that the trade objects to 

 uneven and excessive coloring in butter and that it expresses 

 its objection in discounting the value of the butter to the detri- 

 ment of the net returns to the creamery. It does not pay to 

 overcolor butter. 



Too Light Color. This is a shortcoming for which butter is 

 seldom criticized and only in very isolated markets which insist 

 on a high-colored butter throughout the year. The excessively 

 light color is usually due to the season of the year and occurs 

 only during the winter months when the cows are receiving dry 

 feed only and no artificial butter color is added to the cream. 

 It can readily be remedied by the addition of the proper amount 

 of artificial butter color. 



In some instances the lack of yellowness may be due to the 

 bleaching of the color of the butter after the butter is made and 

 packed. 



This is usually due to an oxidizing action taking place in 

 the butter, either on the butterfat itself or on other ingredients 

 which butter may contain. See "Tallowy Butter." 



The bleaching of butter may also be the result of holding 

 butter in water. In hotels and restaurants where the butter is 



