U.S. “Hold” N.Z. Beef In Hawaii

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 9

U.S. “Hold” N.Z. Beef In Hawaii

(N-Z.P-A.-Reuter—Copyright)

HONOLULU, May 18. The United States Department of Agriculture placed a “hold” order on a shipment of New Zealand boneless beef today to determine whether It had any traces of insecticide.

The meat inspector for the department (Mr J. Kaseburg) told reporters that the order came from Washington. At least three shipments which had arrived in the United States since the "hold” order had been held until a laboratory test could be made on them in addition to normal inspection procedures. No trace of the chemical had been found in the three shipments, meat inspection division officials in Washington said.

There had been no danger of spoilage, since the meat was kept under refrigeration.

If further checks failed to show the presence of the chemical, officials said the order could be rescinded, perhaps in two or three more weeks.

"This is a logical development and I see little cause for alarm in connexion with it,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Hayman, in Wellington. “It is not a new’ development since Hawaii is part of the United States of America and it is logical from the American viewpoint that the same tests which the United States Department of Agriculture are conducting on our meat at the mainland ports should be carried out at the port of Honolulu. “The only new aspect, if it can be called that,” said the Minister, “is that this is probably the first shipment of our meat to arrive in Honolulu since the American authorities began their regular testing a week or so ago.”

Referring to the comments of the meat inspector at Honolulu, Mr Hayman said:

‘‘l cannot quite understand these remarks. According to my information the department in Honolulu had received the same advice from its head office in Washington as was conveyed to that department’s representatives in all American ports about a week ago. That advice was to the effect that samples of all New Zealand meat were to be inspected for insecticides before release."

Referring to the general question of the testing of our meat, Mr Hayman said that the New Zealand officials. Dr. I. J. Cunningham and Mr J. W. De Gruchy, were still in America and he had hopes that as a result of the satisfactory clearance of all shipments in the past week, the present problem might be solved in the near future.