MEAT EXPORT PROBLEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 161, 29 September 1941, Page 5

MEAT EXPORT PROBLEM

SHIPPING SPACE

PORTABLE INSULATORS

SUGGESTED

At last Executive meeting of tha Auckland Farmers' Union Mr C. A. Moore, a member of the Meat Committee, came forward with a model of a portable insulator to be used for the transport of perishable: goods such as meat and butter. The miniature comprised a well-constructed box containing, with intervening space of a few inches.from all sides, an ordinary butter box.

Mr Moore stated that the spacQ surrounding the inside box would be filled with granulated cork and bitumen, and. the whole parcel would be covered with asbestos sheets. The Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company was co-operating »in experiments to see how meat and butter were affected when stored in the sunshine over a period.

The idea underlying the schema was that portable insulators shouhl be stocked and filled in quantities

and kept in the freezing stores until ready for dispatch overseas. It was suggested that they would be carried in the ordinary holds of shipsDealing with the general question of overcorfiing the problem arising from the shortage of refrigerated; and insulated space, Mr stated that in America those interested in the export meat trade were trying out a system in which the! meat was given a coating several inches thick of frozen tallo^ - , which was said to be sufficient to permit the voyage across the Atlantic without depreciation. He had heard that 40 per cent of the meat sent to the Middle East was pickled.

"Here in New Zealand," he said, "we 1 are destroying our ewe mutton, while the Australians are sending theirs overseas in brine."

The Executive unanimously endorsed Mr Moore's efforts, and agreed to co-operate in their continuance.