THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 396, 4 January 1909, Page 2

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

BONED BEEF. GOOD FOOD WASTED. FURTHER REPORTS. The "Meat Trades Journal" publishes further, reports of medical ; men and veterinarians who declare that the. New Zealand boned beef condemned in Glasgow; was good, wholesome meat, and fit for human food. Tho "Journal" 'says:—"We Understand the matter is receiving very serious consideration locally as well as in Now Zealand, and, having regard to the questions addressed to the President of tho Local Government Board, it seems desirable that further action should be taken with a view to removing the unwarranted stigma cast upon the importers of the meat and the meat itself." ■v v " . ' We give some extracts of. the reports alluded to. They are by Dr. Leslie Buchanan, M.D. (Clinical' Research Laboratory, Partick, Glasgow); Mr. J. R. U. Dewar, F.R.C.V.S. j [Royal (Dick); Veterinary College, veterinary inspector for Edinburgh and for the Board of Agriculture, etc.]'; and,' jointly,by J.Don-: aldson Pottie, M.R;C.V.S. (member of the Royal Institute of Public Health,, public health veterinary inspector for Lower' .Ward of Renfrewshire aiuLGourock); and Joseph Gillies. M-.JI.C.V.S'. post-graduate Royal Veterinary College, London). , .',' . . What, a Doctor Sara . : Dr. Leslie Buchanan reported:—"l. .first made cultures from 34 samples taken by the ordinary trade method.. The result of the cultivations in all the 34 cases was the growth of a large number of ( organisms." In only six'of the cases,' however/ was : there present one or more of the putrefactive bac-:' teria, the remainder being simple organisms. These examinations were therefore inconclu- r sive, as the trade method of taking such samples,is totally unsuited, for the purposes of bacteriological examination,' as the instrument employed is not sterilised■ _ either before or during the operation . -.-, . . On Septemberl I inspectod the.cases of meat, tbo property of Mr. , which had been' condemned on August 28,. and on September 2 I inspected nearly a dozen -\ boxes of the lot condemned on August 28, ■ and also, two cases which had been passed, on the same; date. . . ... The. result of ■my general inspection was that I was absolutely, satisfied that so: far as the general characters.of the meat were concerned there was no instance in which the appearance, the consistence, or the odour of any .sample of meat was 'such as to warrant the condemnation withoufsome.'. particular .test..". ..-■' '... ■ ■ '!.-■-•■-. Quite Fresh Aftor Four Days. ; - t, "It is. to be noted, that/the meat had been out of the.'chill' for four days.before being returned, and, in-spite of this it still, re-, mained quite fresh,, and.was, iu my opinion, perfectly, fit for human food. ■ ... "I-next proceeded to investigate, the microscopical characters of various samples.of meat with the object of finding if there was' any change in the minute -appearance :of,the condemned meat which would distinguish it from the , passed meat; and, in addition,by keeping'a , piece of-.meat until it was in an early stage of decomposition I might be able to note changes which were, present in the condemned meat of a-similar nature. The result went '.to show that the oondemned meat- was •jidistinguishablo. from the sound meat, but. quite different from the..meat nn an early stage of decomposition.: , ... .. "I .'have then no hesitation in saying that in no instance of.the twenty cases of meat 'condemned 'by the Inspector of Meat for Glasgow, and ■ subsequently examined' by me, .was there found sufficient reason , for , ', con-' damnation, that the- said meat was of. the appearance, the consistence, and- the odour of healthy, sound rjieat, and, finally,-tEat it was, in rny opinion, quite fit and suitable for human food." -.'■■.'■■, .'■'■'■■■■:■■:■.-.. A Veterinarian's Verdict. , . Mr. J. R. U.Dewar,^r.R.C;y.S.j'examined lots; of. 8; 20, 2, 3,;4, .and 26:.bases, of beef,'the. property of.different owners.'He 'reported:—"The meat examined.in the Cold Storage Company' s premises ■ ylqoked > 'better "than I expected. Considering .-that,;as stated to me, thiSijneat.had. been.out of the cooling chamber from Friday' morning '(some of it from the Thursday night) till the following Monday night, it was wonderfully fresh'"and sweet. ; .••;-.■'.' ~". ; '.•■■• :■ ■ ■•■•' ' ■ v "Concerning other- lots,; examined 'in.tho Moore iStreet market, where , ' it , .had been , lying : at ordinary , , temperature .and in' the atmosphere of a room containing decomposing carcasses, Mr. Dewar said a considerable quantity of it was still quite fresh and sweet. A sour odour was perceptible in many of the packages, but, considering the treatment it had been subjected to, those familiar with the impairment that takes.place in the keeping qualities of meat that 'has 'been frozen arid allowed to thaw would not- be surprised at that. : . : . ... ; Bull Bcaf, but Cood. ; "This meat," he added,. "was nearly all 'bull'beef, , and not what was considered meat of superior quality, but in. my opinion the eight packages of meat the property of Mr.-.- —- had been, 'when first, taken out of the! cooling chamber, perfectly- sweet and wholesome, and fit for the food of man." Regarding the rest, of 'it, . I ahi not' so confident, as—keeping in view the way it had been knocked about and. handled, opened out and packed up again oftener than once, that tho sake hands which had been '.'-handling a package perhaps, tainted handled the next package which may have been fresh; tjat the packages were lying, closely packed on each other, so that if any sour, odour-was present in one it could not;fail to be. communicated to the contiguous one—the opportunity for a satisfactory examination of. the.meat; was con-, spiouous by its absence: It stlould have been.l examined beforo ifc was talwu out of the cooling chamber or immediately, on its first removal."- ..:'.-: - ■-.■■■"■ ■ ~'' How Glasgow Treats our Boned Beof. Messrs. Pottie and Gillies, M's.R.C.V.S.', reported on the.meat inspected by them that it was "free from disease and fit for human food, except two boxes which were slightly affected :With mould." They condemned the abattoirs booth in Moore Street-,'where , the meat was inspected,,as being a.place with no chill chamber, a place where it was mixed up with all sorts of condemned carcasses, and (a place that required cleansing and disinfecting. They added the following significant clause:—. •'■ ; . ' . ;; : / "In conclusion, we consider the Glasgow Public Health authorities should hear all facts in the box beef business from all the interests concerned before legislating on.this important trade, as'the. results of ,the bacteriological examinations of the condemned boxes wero-yery satisfactory." Will New Zealand Protest? From these'reports and the-still stronger reports previously published, it would appear that in spite , of all the treatment meted, out ! by. the Glasgow authorities—treatment reasonably calculated to render the "meat bad, the New Zealand boned beef : persisted in proving itself to be wholesome material and fully up to the'rigid requirements of British medical men as being.fit tor human food. This being the case, it wouid appear reasonable for those New-Zealanders who are interested in the boned beef -trade to press the New. Zealand Government' to : inquire definitely; whether Glasgow intends to keep the , industry still at the mercy of those who have already attacked it so shamefully. : , , "- ■