ANALYSES OF COMMERCIAL BUTTER 317 



The above analyses reveal the fact that the moisture-content 

 of butter was as high and as variable as at the present time. 

 Even t that early date Blyth fixed 80 per cent as the minimum 

 fat-content for butter. The composition of butter in the early 

 days was more variable than it is at the present time. This is 

 to be expected from the fact that more efficient machinery and 

 methods are now used for controlling the temperatures, and that 

 butter-makers have a better understanding of the effect of tem- 

 perature on the control of moisture. Butter made at the present 

 time will undoubtedly compare very favorably with butter 

 made in earlier years. 



Standards in Different Countries. Most of the European 

 countries have limited regulations to specifying the moisture- 

 content of butter rather than the fat-content. The Inter- 

 national Dairy Congress held in Brussels in 1910 passed resolu- 

 tions favoring 18 per cent moisture as the maximum amount. 

 England has a 16 per cent moisture regulation for butter, and 

 24 per cent for blended butter. France has an 18 per cent regu- 

 lation and Belgium an 18 per cent regulation for moisture. 

 Denmark has a 16 per cent regulation for export and 20 per cent 

 for home consumption. Canada has a 16 per cent regulation. 

 Germany has an 18 per cent regulation for moisture for unsalted 

 butter; for salted butter her standard requires 80 per cent fat 

 and not more than 16 per cent moisture. Italy has an 82 per 

 cent fat regulation. Queensland has a 16 per cent moisture regu- 

 lation and 80 per cent fat. Victoria has an 80 per cent fat and 

 1 6 per cent moisture regulation. 



Possibly the reason that some of the European countries have 

 adopted a moisture rather than a fat standard is that it is much 

 easier to make a moisture determination than a fat determina- 

 tion, as in dealing with moisture we are only dealing with one 

 agent, and with the fat determination we have three agents 

 to deal with, the salt, casein and moisture. A 16 per cent 

 moisture and an 80 per cent fat standard for butter would be 

 practically the same. Taking 3 per cent for salt and i per cent 

 for casein, this would leave 80 per cent fat, providing the moisture 

 were carried to the limit, which is not a wise or a safe proposition. 



