MEAT AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1920, Page 5

MEAT AT HOME.

WHAT CAUSES DETERIORATION? TEMPERATURE NOT RESPONSIBLE. (By WirS.—Parliamentary Reporter.! Wellington, Last Njjgat.^ In the House of Representatives this afternoon, Mr. Majssey said that on August 11 Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) brought up the question of the temperature at which meat was held in the freezing stores in England, an* he (the Prime Minister) promised he vpould, obtain the necessary information. Accordingly a cable waa sent to the High - Commissioner, reading as follows: "It has been suggested that the cause of much of the deterioration in frozen meat in Great Britain is due to the stores holding meat at a higher temperature than that prevailing in New Zealand; understand Home stores maintain a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees, against 10 to 11 degrees here; shall be glad of a report." The following reply mis now been received: "With reference to your telegram of August 27, re: the deterioration of meat in store in Great Britain, the Ministry of Food states that the tenv perature maintained is as ,stated tin your telegram, namely, 18 to 18 degrees, and that this is the same as before the war; Ministry docs no{ consider deterioration can be ascribed to the temperature at this end, but that much of the unsatisfactory appearance is due to dismemberment, consequent on chafing and shrinkage, and in some cases to long! storage in New Zealand; the director of the Food Investigation Board does not consider a cnange from 10 degrees to IJS-18 degrees likely to account for deterioration in appearance, as far as moulds or bacteria are concerned, pro-! vided the temperature maintained is steady." The Premier said the matter was one of considerable importance to the Dominion, and he took this opportunity of giving it as much publicity as possible."