CHILLED BEEF TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 235, 28 September 1908, Page 4

CHILLED BEEF TRADE.

ljiamTAST deveu ipments. ■Some interesting ■particulars of t'.ie improvement that has been made in Uiu tarrying of beef for juruign markets are supplied by ilr. Charles J. Turner, the chief refrigerating engineer of the lndralcma, now at Auckland, lie writer "It may 'be of interest to many of your readers to know (hat the carrying; of chilled meat, in contradistinction to frozen meat, lias now been rendered possible iby a process which Has ben invented by ilr. J. A. linley, who '.as been experimenting for some years with thi s object in view, and the plant Ins now been iustallcd in. several freezing works in Argentina, and a regular trade carried on from there with meat treated under this process. The chilled bc:f trade from Argentina has been in vogue for many year*, but previously it had | to ihe carried at .'Meg. or -((leg. below freezing point, and the .meal on arrival was in a partially frozen condition; but under the new system it is carried at less than one degjree below freezing point, and the meal on arrival is as soft and fresh in appearance as newly-killed meat, and will hang iu the market for several days before .being -old, - The lii'st cargo carried was in the Anglo-Argentina Steamship Company's s.s." (iuardiaua. under my charge, aun we carried it from Argentina to London, discharged pari there and ( .roeeeded to J Liverpool, whole a further epiautily was discharged, and the remainder carrhd on to Barry ami landed in splendid condition, after having been mi board for 4!) days, which is equivalent to a voyage, from 'the colonies Home. As chilled beef fetches about Al per pound more on the market as compared with frozen beef, it will be seen at a glance what an advantage it will be to colonial ship--1 pers to place their meat on the Home markets in a chilled condition, especially when (lie superior quality ">" colouial'lieef is considered iu comparison to that of Argentina. "The main feature,, of Ibis proc'ss are. first, the treatment of the meal after killing—to destroy any stuff which mav have accumulated after ihe m.-.it ha,' been liandl d, washed, etc.—ami afterwards keeping the air pu.ilied Hi the ship's chambers during the voyage. To carry out the first part of the process, the meat alter killing, is hung ill a chamber lilted with the sterilising apparatus, which consists of a fan for circulating the air. and a sleani heater for evaporating the sterilising lluid, forI maliue." which is simply a strong antiseptic. As the formaline is evapoiated, the fan carries the vapour into the chamber, and keeps it ill circulation while it deposits itself on the meat, destroying all bacteria, and forming a slight skin ou the beef, giving it poetically an air-tight covering. The uicr.t is then wrapped in cloths which are sterilised at the same time, aiid is th mi ready for shipment. The steamers carrying the meal are also lilted with a fail and steriliser, but ill addition have two other boxes for purifying Hie air during the voyage. The first box through which the air passes is lifted with .slicks of chloride of calcium, so arranged that the air cannot pass without coming iu contact with lliciii, ami these absorb the gases which are given, oil' liv meat carried at a high temperature. The air is 'then passed through lire second box, which is lilted with lead discs, revolving slowly in a 'bath of sulphuric acid, which completes the publication by absorbing any gases which have escaped the chloride of calcium chamber. Alter the meat has been loaded 011 the .steamer, the chambei doors are closed, and a small charge of the sterilising gas is circulate! amongst the meat to destroy any bacteria whh-li may have been picked up during the handling and stowing of the meat, and all that i s then necessary during the voyage, in keeping the chamber between Slileg. and 31'/ 2 deg., is to circulate fie air for about half an hour each day, the fan drawing the air from the chamber through the chloride of calcium and sulphuric acid boxes, and after purification, discharging it back again, the same air being used during the whole of the voyage.

"Samples of this meat were su'imilteil to .several of the most eminent uualvsts in Great Britain, and to the I'uldie ollicer of Health for London, all of whom made favourable reporl s upon il. and failed In deteet the presence of anvlhing injurious on the meal. "The Meat Trades Journal, in dealing with the first shipment, said: 'The opinion of several well-known experts who examined 1h: meat at the stalls 111 the Swift iiecf Compunv anil Mr. .1. W. Currv were most nattering. The heel' retains its lubliliies- ..f colour or ••l,l„„m." -as it is termed, and has all the appearance of meat just recently killed.' If future shipments can he landed in the line condition of this trial delivery, a new vista is opened for all foreign and colonial meals."—Aucklaad Star.'