THE MANUFACTURE OF CAMEMBERT CHEESE. 25 
COST OF MANUFACTURE. 
Figures given below on the cost of manufacture, as estimated in 
1922, are based upon experience in the work on a commercial scale. 
IMilk standardized to 3.5 to 3.6 per cent fat and valued at $2.25 per 
100 pounds is used in these calculations. The daily costs of water, 
fuel, electricity, repairs, and depreciation are an engineer's estimate. 
The yield of cheese is figured at 220 cheeses per 1,000 pounds of 
milk. The cheese is assumed to be sold in the customary 5-dozen 
crates. The labor is figured on the basis of cost of labor together 
with a proportionate cost for supervision. The costs of aluminum 
foil, boxes, and crates as given are actual costs when these items- are 
purchased in quantities. 
These estimates are based on the assumption that curing rooms run 
at maximum capacity and do not take into consideration losses 
"which may occur in marketing a perishable product. The figures 
represent a minimum cost, dependent upon a maximum scale of 
manufacture. When the cheese is not made on a large scale the 
charge for many items of expense is increased. Such a condition 
may be responsible for a variation of several cents per cheese. The 
price of milk, overhead charge, and size and style of package may 
cause considerable variation in the cost of making one Camembert 
cheese. 
Table 5. — Estimated cost (in 1922) of making one Camembert cheese on a 
commercial scale. 
Item. 
Cost. 
Milk 
Labor for receiving and testing milk 
Salt and rennet 
Labor in ma kin g , 
Curing charge 
Aluminum foil 
Box 
Losses from broken boxes 
Crates 
Labels 
Administrative charge 
Interest on money invested in building, equipment, insurance, taxes, repairs, and depreciation. 
Total 
SO. 1023 
.0003 
.0007 
.0197 
.0077 
.0065 
.0200 
.0027 
.0033 
.0033 
.0101 
.0075 
SO. 1841 
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES. 
Both wholesale and retail prices of Camembert cheese have 
advanced materially since the war period. Little of this product 
was imported during the war. In November, 1922, this cheese 
was selling wholesale at about $3.25 to $3.75 a dozen. Since the 
World War, the price of domestic Camembert has nearly doubled 
and the demand has constantly increased. Good Camembert retails 
at from 35 to 50 cents a cheese. The price does not appear to 
fluctuate so readily as that of many varieties of soft cheese. 
The variation in price of Camembert cheese from 1900 to 1922 is 
indicated in Table 6. Records were not always available for 
12 months in the year. After 1916 no quotations were available for 
foreign cheese up to the beginning of 1923. These figures were 
taken from a New York trade journal, and give the wholesale 
