FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 573, 10 January 1882, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company havo issued the following circular, dated Lond.n, November If. :— FIIOZKM MKAT. In view of (he development, of this industry, the successful importation of fr.izen meat fraai Australia having been already practically secured, it i« desirable that in order to its satisfactory disposal in this market great care and attention should be paid in carrying our tho details attendant on the operation, not only as regards slaughtering-, quality, weight, freezing and preparation for shipment, hut with respect to stowage in frozen chambers of vessels and time of arrival here. On these points the following remarks may prove oi : service : —

(a.) Slaughtering, quality and weight ought to be such as to suit the requirements of the London maikct, the butchering being performed by experts conversant therewith. These wants will best be met by observance of the following rules:— Beef—Care ought to be taken not to score the meat in Haying ; the carcases ought to he sawn, not chopped through the chine, thus eep .rating the sides with least injury the bone ; for this operation a bow meat saw should be used. Bullocks compact in frame and in good condition, to weigh when dead from 6801b to 8001b, ought to be selected. If attention be paid in the separation of the body that there is no injury to the chine or backbone, the meat may be sent in sides rather than in quarters, but if in the handling of the sides before being frozen there is any probability of injury by abrasure, the meat ought to be cut into quarters. Sides, if delivered in perfect order, will yield a better out-turn per lb than if separate'! into fore and hind quarters, but in the transfer from place of production to this market it m y be difficult to secure the. needful care in manipulation to attain the desired end. Sheep ought all to be wethers or maiden ewes ; ought to be carefully skinned without ■' scoring "carcase ; ought not to tie cut through the ''aitches," but the breast bone may be divided, the knobs of the kidneys with the suet and the shanks being removed. Condition must be uniformly good. Merino sheep should weigh from 561b, to 6_!b, the latter weight being preferred, and crossbred sheep 611b to 801b. the meat of the crossbred will generally command here a more ready sale than that of merino sheep.

(li.) Freezing Preparation for Shipment and Stowage in Vessel—Before being put mnler the freezing process the meat, whether . beef or mutton, must be thoroughly cooled in a cooling chainhor, at a temperature of, say forty degrees Fahrenheit. According to the time of year, locality, and weight of meat dealt with must depend the interval allowed to elapse between killing and freezing, but probably forty-eight hours will be found amply sufficient iV the purpose. If strict attention _:to the cooling bo not observed, the effect of freezing meat top freshly killed will be to cause decay to commence

at the bone- If after being frozen the meat be for some time exposed to a temperature above fret-zing point before being put, in the freezing chamber of eyport vessel it may be seiioiisly injured. Should there be no special means for its conveyance in a frozen state from the freezing house on shore to the -vessel, the transit ought to be short and quick. Each quarter or side of beef and carcass of mutton, after being duly, but not too severly frozen and properly covered with calico, ought to be conveyed to tho freezing chamber on board ship. If that be situated above the water load line of the vessel (a position which should, if possible, be avoided) care should be taken that the meat does not come into such close contact with the sides of the chamber asa to prevent free circulation of air. It habeen found that the sun's rays, in the passage through the tropics, bave been sufficiently powerful so to raise the lempera () ture in the walls of the chamber as tf effect the meat stowed above the level o tbe water line and placed in contact with the sides of the chamber. In every case the meat, whether beef or mutton, ought to be stowed " athwart " and not " fore and aft" ship ; in the case of sheep, the carcases being laid with the legs next the sicl«B of the cnamber, the temperature of which ought, in case of accident to freezing apparatus, to be maintained as nearly as possible at 2G degrees Fahrenheit. The mark and shipping weight of each side or quarter of beef or carcase of mutton ought to be attached thereto in order to facilitate identification of interests and comparison of shipping and sale weights.

(c) Time of Arrival—When more extended experience of the intrinsic merits of Australian beef and mutton shall havo been gained in this country, and the, ap piiances requisite for the storage here of large quantities in frozen chambers shall have been secured, the question of time of arrival will become somewhat less important than it is under existing conditions. Speaking generally, it may be stated that frozen meat reaching this market between December and August will meet a more ready and satisfactory sale than if the arrivals take place between September and November, Throughout the latter period there is not only less demand but supplies of domestic meat and those from various centres of production on the Continent are larger, and with these Australian Shipments must necessarily compete. As it is not always possible, even under favorablconditions of market to arrange the discharge from ship on the days in the week on which tho Metropolitan Meat Market is most largely attended, it will be desirable to secure if possible, a minimum of ten lay days for the unloading at this port. Care ought, therefore, to be taken to obtain this concession in making arrangements for shipping. ISUTTER AND CHEESE. The transport of Australasian butter and cheese as part of mixed cargoes having hitherto been attended with loss by reason of heating on passage, it has been rightly considered that the introduction of freezing and cool chambers on hoard steamers aud sailing vessels carrying such cargoes may overcome this difficulty. With regard to the former article of produce theie seems no reason why it should not be subjected to a freezing process as severe as that hitherto found to be requisite in the case of meat. Butter may, therefore, if necessary, be fitly sent in thq same frozen chamber, care being taken that Iwfere shipment it is in thoroughly j good condition and quite sweet, It may he packed in casks containing 1121bs or in firkins containing 581b., or in tins containing 281bs each, the variety of package being suggested so as to meet various consumptive requirements. It appears to be matter for practical investigation by the producer, however, whether the chemical properties inherent in cheese I will admit of its being successfully dealt j with in the same way. Were it possible to convey .hues, from the colonies to this I market at a temperature a little over freezing point, if of good quality at time of shipment, it would doubtless reacfi this country in condition fit for sale, but it is open to question whether continuous exposure to a temperature of from six to seven degrees under freezing point might not sensibly detract from its satisfactory disposal. Under those circumstances, if producers in the colonies cannot fairly test the result of the article being placed under a freezing process before shipment, as regards appearance and taste, or cannot ensure that while on passage the cheese, though not shipped as ordinary cargoe, and therefore liable to be s.veated, can be stowed in a cool l.i.t not freezing chamber, it will be prudent that experimental shipments should be made on a very limited scale only, in the frozen chambers fitted up for the conveyance of meat. When shipped the cheese ought to be as uniform in make and flavor as possible, weighing each from 56 to GOibs, and packed as tho American Cheddar cheese sent here for sale are packed, one in a box, surrounded by a little, sawdust.