MEAT REFRIGERATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 274, 13 August 1921, Page 8

MEAT REFRIGERATION

A CALL TO PROGRESS NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN HANDLING BEEF "Cold Storage," the loading London journal in connection, with the meat trade, makes the following trenchant remarks on the subject of meat refrigeration r "If the question were asked as to what branch of refrigeration at tho present time most loudly called for improvement of method, we should immediately point 1 the finger to beef refrigeration. There may bo other desirable avenuqs for progms, both in relation to refrigeration machinery and store equipment, but thoro are several reasons why we hold that progress in beef refrigeration is not only admirable, but imperative. Let us enumerate them; — Chilled v. Frozen Beef. "In the first place the return from war's regime of dire necessity is closing up the world's markets once more against refrigerated moat of secondary value. Both West Smithfield and the Hallos Centrales echo this only too plainly, and Brazil and South Africa already know it to their cost. Not that these promising resources cannot supply the best, but their secondary production, everyone will admit, has to bo graded up. hr unco is -rowing fastidious of frozen meat-coji-hele as opposed to fngore-and it looks as if chilled meat alone is to fill the bill for the Continental market in the not far distant future.' The Quest for New Methods.

"Now, this is a serious matter for the British frozen meat industry._ It means that the 'good' of the past, is only tne 'middling' of the future, and that the ’best' which must be aimed for, reproBents’ a now value perhaps not yet attained. If Europe asks for chilled beef, can Australasia give it that article and, if not, what will be the result as fai a» Europe is concerned? We believe, as . matter of fact, that there are already on ■ the horizon the email clouds of the solu tion of this problem. Atmosphere sterilisation by the atomisation of a. purily ngagent aided safer chilled transport in large measure even before the war Inrt wo look to see it so again-and. not from South Africa alone. Then there are revised systems of freezing. There is the low temperature brine process, whic science may extend from fish to flesh application, and we understand that n X has our Food Investigation Boatd not this subject well in hand, bu ft is only awaiting the completion of ftllor equipment at Cambridge to thresh So matter out in regard to more than one style of progress. Producing and Importing Ends United. "Perhaps not every member of the. industry in this country is aware that ' Australia also has a Government Denartment of Scientific and Industrial Research. Tho Commonwealth is treading the sake path as delib % a^ ly^ h pta m boa.«•«£« Soto™ m« «<«•""> «> ?Lwl<Xe as to the ideals of method. a”, 'ril body «I i «r“ s ‘lkS" * ’TSted. can take any practical stous along this promising route. T stops i\;,.-Anrc of Food InvestiGovernnient Directors 01 xu ~o lin cation in Great Britain and Australia would, wo should imagine, welcome such ' efforts.”