INSPECTION OF MEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1640, 6 January 1913, Page 8

INSPECTION OF MEAT.

DIFFICULTYOF EXPORT TRADE. - ' One of,the,most difficult.duties/in-tte ■ meat inspection , service!says' Mr. . G.-; J. Realtes,; DiK-ctor of the .Live Stock' and- . Meat Division of the-Departriient'of Agri-. culture, in his aninial report, is that, in- ■ yolved .by ■, tho ! growing - exportVtrade in. \ ' whatcmay -be termed^iriferior-class' meat, i In dealing- with-.'this,- inspectors linvo to: exorciso great /caution.' and ■ careful '.dis-': crimination ;in ,the matter of the standard '• of quality of the meat passed.- Lean oarcasses; though- they! .may,: 'set. well' enough. when cooled after slaughter, -this • being -brought about by the', natural , process: known'as' rigor' mortis, will not again, become[(gyni'aad,Kiglltl'Off, aypSar-, aii?e ,wh4n later on 'they are, defrosted, if•there be insufiicient fat in their to ensure,this.-.i ' Consequently, when oeoit in Great .-Britain.'- after defrostation . they, present, unsightly.' and. :uiifit, appear-,, ance, and are liable to bo objected to and '.condemned.;* by, inspectors there: • -,'i " .'•■.i'An .'instance, of this; occurred 'some tilne ago, and a small quantity of beof-.waa condemned, in. the, Birmingham' market.. Veolely■ 'on' account' of-thisi'v,- There'was:iio question of .'disease .'involved. The .mat-. ter ;was properly dealt -with 'at this end vwhen the facts'became'known.-i-.Tliis oc- •; currence emphasises the necessity for, the. exercise ,of stringent, methods/of.:inspec- . tion .here;, on .the.' point i and especially'the .--necessity:, fof" inspectors- ; being given more'extended' powers.in the .direction : of effectively preventing tie. exportation of inferior meat. > : - ; trade, is right enough if conductedunder proper, safeguards, and : there is no desire to unduly hamper • it'. ,' But. the meat-export industry; as a i whole is of such vital importance,, to ; the {Dominion'.that it inessential that no risks be taken I in the direction, of'. prejudice being in Great Britain-against our meat- ■ '