A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 17, 1993
HUNTINGDON (Huntingdon
Co.) Milk processors should
switch from packaging milk in
translucent plastic jugs to pig
mented, light-blocking jugs, said a
dairy products specialist in Penn
Stale’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.
“When exposed to light, milk in
translucent plastic containers can
develop a tallowy, woody or
cardboard-like taste,” said Sidney
Barnard, professor of food sci
ence. “The chemical off-flavor
develops with exposure to as little
as 20 minutes of direct sunlight or
24 hours of fluorescent light at
intensities above 100 foot
candles.”
Barnard led a team of faculty
and students who purchased and
evaluated 449 samples of milk in
YURIY BIHUN
Forest Stewardship Associate
Penn State University
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) If you’re like most wood
lot owners who decide to harvest
timber, you usually sell stumpage -
standing timber - or market your
cut sawlogs roadside to a log buy
er. limber harvester or sawmill
owner.
Some landowners shop around,
others take the first offer that com
es down the pike. Since most forest
landowners are not professionals
at marketing limber, you may
come out a loser in the deal without
help from an expert.
In Pennsylvania, less than 25
percent of all umber sales on pri
vate, non-industrial woodlands
involve the service of a profcssion-
plastic jugs from Pennsylvania
stores over the past three years.
“Almost half the samples, or 48
percent had pronounced light
induced flavors when evaluated
within 36 hours after purchase,”
Barnard said.
The flavor change is accompan
ied by a decrease in the milk’s
nutritional properties. “Light
exposure causes milk to lose vita
min A and riboflavin,” Barnard
said.
‘The amount of nutrients lost
and the intensity of the flavor
change is determined by the inten
sity and nearness of the light and
the length of exposure.”
“Consumer preference studies
have shown that four out of five
people prefer milk without light
induced flavor,” Barnard said.
THIS SS WILL
MAKE IT EASY TO BUY
al forester.
However, repealed studies have
shown that forester-assisted umber
sales net a greater return for the
landowner and more than cover the
cost of hiring a professional
forester.
Three-quarters of all sales that
involve a forester require an up
front lump sum payment to the
seller before harvesting begins as
opposed to a “pay-as you-cut”
method.
Moreover, competitive bidding
procedures are used on forester
assisted sales, which usually result
in higher returns to the landowner.
Sound forest management usu
ally results in a more producUve
forest and continued income
producing potential from future
growing slock.
“This means that milk in translu
cent jugs is a definite problem for
the milk industry.”
“The incidence of pronounced
light-induced flavors leads to the
conclusion that all milk should be
packaged in pigmented plastic
jugs rather than translucent ones,”
he said. “This pigment can be a
combination of titanium dioxide,
talcum powder and yellow color at
concentrations that block about 90
percent of short wavelength light
rays.”
Children in particular may find
the light-induced flavor of milk
distasteful. To get children to
drink the milk they need for bone
development and good health.
Barnard suggested purchasing
milk in pigmented plastic jugs or
paper containers.
A competitive bid sale allows
the landowner or forester more
control over harvesting activities
and the flexibility to implement
practices that reflect the principles
of forest stewardship.
Those who are first-time timber
sellers may have some questions
about where to begin.
For instance: How is timber
marketed on the stump? Is limber
selling similar to selling livestock
or tobacco? What goes on when a
limber sale is put up for bids?
The first step in selling timber
on a competitive bid basis is to
send out a request to potential buy
ers to submit written, scaled bids
on a particular tract of limber and
an invitation to a limber showing.
A prospectus that includes a
limber sale map, timber sale vol
Milk Stays Better In
“Pigmented plastic jugs or pap
er cartons are the only containers
that prevent off-flavor develop
ment and vitamin loss from milk
purchased in stores,” he said.
Since the 1940’5, researchers at
more than a dozen universities
have studied the causes and pre
vention of light-induced flavor. A
chemical company developed the
first protective container in 1969
for a former Pittsburgh milk plant.
The design wound up being popu
lar with the household bleach
industry, because it prevented sig
nificant losses in strength.
About three years ago, orange
juice makers started using pig
mented plastic to prevent a flavor
defect and the light-induced
destruction of Vitamin C. At least
seven fluid milk processing plants
Consultants Benefit
ume estimate, and a bid form
should be enclosed with the invita
tion letter.
In addition to volume estimates
and calculations, the contract
requirements and sale specifica
tions should be included in the
prospectus.
Although not all foresters
include the same information in
their prospectus, some of the items
that can be expected to be included
fall under the calagorics of sale
specifics, volume calculations, arid
contract executions.
Under sale specifics, expect to
include details of the acreage
included and a map; the number of
stands or culling units; a umber
and marking system; road con
struction; seeding and mulching of
lof landings; the method of silvi-
in the United States use pigmented
jugs, including one in Pennsylva
nia and one in Maryland. Barnard
said it’s lime more milk proces
sors followed suit.
Poison Prevention
Tips
A large percentage of acciden
tal poisoning in the U.S. occur in
children under the age of five. But
several steps can be taken to pro
tect children and others from poi
sonous substances, said a Penn
State consumer education
specialist.
“Parents must be very watchful
when using household chemicals
or medicines,” said Dr. Cathy
Bowen, assistant professor of
agricultural and extension educa
tion in Penn State’s College of
Agricultural Sciences.
culture (for example, spccily
whether the potential harvester is
to clcarcut, or take individual
trees.); the dales and a time limit
for harvesting; outline any special
features for protection, such as
biological or archeological fea
tures; slump height requirements,
tree lop-lopping specifications,
slash (residue) treatment; and
details for crossing streams.
Under the catagory of volume
calculations, provide the sawtnn
ber and pulpwood volumes, b>
species, stand or culling unit; the
number of trees; average volume
(per acre, or per tree); log scale;
and site index. Even if each tree
has been tallied, volumes are not
guaranteed and the bidder has to
make his (or her) own estimate of
the merchantable volume. Gener-
Li