‘Dog Tucker’ Meat

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 1

‘Dog Tucker’ Meat

YN.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, Mar. 9.

Meat which was sold in the United States as New Zealand lamb was “the sort ot stuff my wife’s father used to use for dog tucker,” a Ravensbourne man said today.

Mr R. A. McPherson, back in Ravensbourne after a trip to the United States to visit his daughter in Nashville, described the meat as “absolutely inedible." “I had been going round

telling everyone that there was nothing to beat a meal of New Zealand lamb with roast potatoes and mint sauce. “My daughter decided to give a dinner for some friends and went out to buy some New Zealand lamb. “She came back with four or five wrapped packets of meat with ‘produce of New Zealand’ written on them in one inch high red letters. “It didn’t say whether the meat was lamb, mutton or old goat meat.

“So she cooked it up, but the damn stuff was so tough 1 left mine on the side of my plate. “I can tell you 1 felt pretty silly after skiting up New Zealand mutton and lamb to those Americans."

Mr McPherson said he thought it was probably local produce done up for sale as New Zealand meat. “Either that or some of the freezing works have been slipping in a bit of old stuff among their lamb for export. He said he had arrived back in Auckland to hear that the Meat Board was looking for new markets overseas. “If they don’t watch out they’ll be losing the markets they have got and then they will certainly have to look for new markets."

A spokesman for the Board said tonight: “This is a most unlikely case New Zealand ex oorts 21 million lambs every rear and most of our customers are walking advertisements for the product ’ “Complaints are very rare Of course, a lot depends on Che handling of any meat product in the shops and in prei paration from the frozen i state.” he said. I “Consumer tests in the i North American market have I turned up many compliments las to the tenderness of New Zealand lamb

“No New Zealand freezing works would be sending socalled ‘old meat.’ ” said the spokesman “New Zealand lamb is grade inspected and certified and is indeed genuine spring lamb,” he said.