CARTON MEAT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 131, 26 January 1932, Page 7

CARTON MEAT

' NEW INqUSTRY EMPIRE MARKETING BOARD DISCUSSES TRADE WITH LONDON. GREAT P0SS1BILITIES. The possible development of a trade in quick-frozen carton meat occupied the attention of a reeent meeting of jthe Empire Marketing Board. The I idea is that joints and small cuts of : meat should be put up for sale in England in attractive cardboard packets, the meat having heen frozen by some sutable process in its country of origin, whether New Zealand or any other part of the Empire. The meeting seemed generafiy agreed that the possibilities were great, as were also the difSculties. The idea is no new one; for nearly two years the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has heen investigating the question of cafton meat, experimental copsignments having been sent. Dr. Moran, of the Cambridge (England) Low Temperature Research Station, gave it as his opinion that, speaking generally, it would seem that, apart from hygienic considerations and the appeal of the attractive carton or container, the interest now being displayed in the rapid freezing of meat is based upon two claims: the first,, now well established, that the appearance cif the meat is superior to that of the same cut or sample of meat frozen in air; and second, that -the palatahility of rapidly frozen meat is markedly superior to that of airfrozen meat of the same quality. All the experts seemed agreed that the idea! prpcess for rapid-freezing has not yet been found. With all the various processes now used there were difSculties. There is a limit to the size of the joint which can be treated by rapid freezing, and there is also the difBculty that some of the most advanced methods are still unabie to apply rapid freezing to all sides of the product at the same time, with the result that it is partially rapid frozen. As distinguished from the : ordinary air-freezing or sharp-freez-ing methods, rapid freezing involves the direet immersion or indirect contact of the meat with some cold liquid refrigerant. The object is to pass the product as quickly as possible through that range of temperatures • in which the liquids naturally present in and around the cells tend to form crystals. The size of the crystals depends upon the time allowed for them form, and the more quickly the prodbct can be passed through this range of temperature, the less time there will be for crystals to grow by aecretion and, consequently, the less will be the damage to the eellular structure of the prPduct. Importance of Temperature. Amongst the scientific difficdlties attached to the rapid-freezing processes were the lack of knowledge as regards the optimum thickness of the joint to be frozen and the limiting rate of cooling for different tissues, and the lack of knowledge as regards the optimum temperature for storage. j - In order to maintain the proper j temperature, the meat would have to j leave the freezing works in New Zeaj land at a temperature of almost minus J ten degrees, and would have to reach | a cold cabinet in the retailer's shop j in England, which would not have t'cf i be warmer than plus fifteen degrees. j A gradual rise in temperature be- ; tween these two points is apparently ; imperative, and consequently the temperature on the transporting ships j would have to be about zero. This j would allow for about a ten degrees rise in temperature, during transport j from the freezer's cold room to the j ship's side, with a further ten degrees j rise in transport from docks to the retail ships. But, at the present time, the shipping companies for the most part are not able to grant facillties for zero temperature rooms. The question there fore arises as to whether they would shoulder the extra cost in providing such facilities. There would be additional cost, too, in the provision of mechanically refrigerated vaqs for the distribution of the carton meat when unloaded from the ships. Furthermore,, retailers would be saddled with the cost of cold cabinets in their shops. The cold cabinet probably would not pay for itself by tbe j sale of meat alone, and it would be necessary to work up a trade in rapid-ly-frozen fish, fruit and vegetables in order to square accounts. Existing facilities on the railways in Great Britain, it was pointed out, are inadequate to ensure that the rapidly-frozen products could be deliyered satisfactorily and kept at the proper eonstant temperatures. Hence the necessity for special vans. This extra cost and the general cost of distribution would only be met if the public could be persuaded to pay more per pound for carton meat, in view of the bone and the inferior portions having been removed, and to believe that rapidly-frozen meat can be as good as fresh meat. Carton meat, to pay expenses, would probably have to fetch more money per pound than prime Seotch meat in England, and it might be difficult to persuade the public that the frozen meat was the better of the two. Large sections of the public at present are disinclined to believe that packaged meat can be either safe or palatable. Question of Cost. The margin of profit in freezing work is extremely small, so the quantity of meat processed would have to be as large as possible. Tlie cost of , cartons would add to expenses. It would be essential tbat the selling organisation. in England had a regular supply of the best cut's of lamb, beef, pork and veal. This would' entail several rapid-freezing plants. The plant in the eountry of origin would probably be . able to "work for only a few months in each year, which might mean an expensive oiitlay of capital, and during the working period stocks would have to be accumulated to last for the whole year.