MECHANICAL LOSSES 195 



cent fat is manufactured will reduce the overrun about 4.03 

 per cent. 



The total mechanical losses are summarized by Washburn 1 

 as follows: "The creamery receiving cream lost about 1.4 per 

 cent of the total butter fat received during the process of manu- 

 facture and saved about 98.6 per cent. The creamery receiv- 

 ing milk lost about 3.17 per cent of the butter fat during the 

 process of manufacture and saved about 96.83 per cent. 



PER CENT OVERRUN WHICH MAY BE 

 LEGALLY OBTAINED 



This is determined primarily by the state and Federal butter 

 standards. A moisture standard of 16 per cent and a fat stand- 

 ard of 80 per cent may under normal conditions be considered 

 identical, as butter containing 16 per cent moisture, 2.8 per 

 cent salt, and 1.2 per cent casein also contains 80 per cent of 

 butter fat. More casein may be incorporated, but incorpora- 

 tion of a high per cent of casein decreases the keeping qualities 

 of the butter. A limited number of markets would accept butter 

 containing a higher per cent of salt, but the manufacturer 

 who makes an attempt to use salt as an adulterant has lost 

 all regard for quality and is sacrificing his business when 

 he makes such attempt. Salt is added to the butter for 

 the sake of aiding it in flavor and not for the sake of 

 adulterating it. 



It is evident that under a mere moisture standard the un- 

 scrupulous manufacturer might adulterate his butter with 

 casein and salt and in that way obtain a high per cent of over- 

 run and yet manufacture an article of butter which the law 

 would recognize as legal. If the butter standard is based 

 on the fat content of the butter then it becomes compara- 

 tively easy to estimate a possible theoretical overrun. The 

 following calculations are based on an 80 per cent butter-fat 

 standard. 



1 Bulletin 177, Minnesota Ex. St., 1918. 



