BACON-CURING INDUSTRY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11130, 13 February 1930, Page 2

BACON-CURING INDUSTRY

POSITION TO SUSPENSION OF REGULATIONS. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. Allegations that the -Government, is permitting a breach oi the regulations under the T ood and Drugs Act, made by a weekly paper, are denied. The statement is that the Government is tailing to enforce regulations which wore framed to prevent curing bacon with bone acul. It is true that these regulations were framed in 1928 but, after being considered by the then Government, it was decided that timy should bo suspended in the mean time. The attitude of tho Department of Health, Horn which the regulations emanated was that, while there mj’.ght not be jniich haim to the individual through eating bacon cured with boric acid, the cumulative effect of such preservatives on the sjstem was calculated to be bad. The regulations wore drawn up less to check an admitted evil than to follow out a general priciplo which had been stated by the Department, and which governed all its actions hi relation to matters of this nature.

However, somewhat to Hie displeasure of the lion. J. A. Voting, then Minister of Health, J,, e Coates Government decided to suspend the regulations, pending further action by itlie Haccm-curors. ; Mr. Voung expressed dissatisfaction with the propriety of this course, pointing out that it .was not salistactory mn possibly legal for regulations to l.e in existcnco and theli suspended. The hacon-curers, in arrangement with tho Department of Seionti.ru and Industrina-1 Research, tlien ar ranged to donate a sum sufficient to •send to England' Mr. E. VV. AVj-iglit resuarch chemist ol the Depart men t for him to make special investigation into methods of curing, large local curora contending that they could not satisfactorily .iso tin brine cure. Mr. AV right has report., ed moro than* once, but the result.!of his being ij-teml-ed for the trade, have not beer made public. Apparently, .he Inn failed to discover-an/ alternative, usno; i'-hange (in of ■ cubing has-been, adopted. Now,; therefore, the -position is -ns it was two years ago. The Depart, mopt of Health still considers that curing with boric acid is ' unsuitable, and the Government is expected to make a decision -as to whether or not the regulations are to he enforced- J.f they are, it is expected that failure to coinply- will lead to early prosecution.