MEAT FLOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 258, 29 October 1921, Page 12

MEAT FLOUR.

(Published by Arrang' r.ient.)

I A N3W INDUSTRY. ■ ~ i , INVENTION OF AN AUCKLAND , I'AKM Ell. ! i liOAliD 111- TRADE RETORT. The Board of Trade has submitted lo 1 tile Hon. K. I'. Lee (Minister of Indus- 1 I tries and Commerce) an interesting: . report on a new and promising industry, • the manufacture id' ir.eal liour. recently i established in New Zealand. "The product | s (states the report) is a conei-ntniled 1 meat food prepared bv a process invented I by Mr. \Y. E. Ilcn>us. a farmer in the ■ Auckland province. The financial backers 1 of the wilt lire are (he Australasian Trade 1 Expansion Company ' Limited), ot Auekr land, the principals of which interviewed ■ (lie department some months ago with a i* view t<l interesting (he Government in , the new produce The facts and prospects ~ relating to this industry have been I thoroughly investigated by ollicers of the 1 j department, and the following report is . based upon the evidence collected. . | ".lust as it is possible io manufacture . I dried milk or milk-powder from ordinary . wholftmilk or skim-milk, so also is it , possible 10 make dried meat-Hour Iroin • fresh meal. Meat-Hour has been defined 1 as the lean meat ol sheep and cattle > reduced by special process to a fine Hour or meal. It is thus the reverse of meat- , extract, the llour being what remains after the great bulk of the moisture—but none of the nutriment—is removed. It , is said that lean limit contains from (!-"» lo 70 per cent of water, and, therefore, it is evident that (lie proportion of , nutriment iu (lie meat-Hour must be 1 considerable. The process of niauufac-]. ttire is devised tn ensure thai the liour . contains the food materials ol the meat ; together willi Ihe valuable extractives. "This meat-Hour til is claimed) will j, have obvious advantages from Ihej economic point of view. Some of these ' advantages are: (1) The product will be comparatively small in bull; and con- : venient to transport, (bus tending lo the 1 reduction of distribution costs. (2) It f 0111 be packed in small containers and . safclv carried to regioi s of extrciiv heal or cold—regions in which the fresh-meat , trade cannot operate. ("I It is a conlicenlrated form of food, and its use . J would tend (0 eliminate great waste I which now occurs (at by shipping bones :i J from Xew Zealand ami thereby losing j 1 phosphates, (b) by quantities of meat L I destroyed 011 account of deterioration, < 1 (e) by lack of household economy in [ 1 , connection with fresh meat, and (d) by ' waste of fuel in the preparation of ordij nary meat dishes. (■() It appears to be J easily kept in a healthy ami wholesome ! , conditon. A TRADE SECRET. 1 "The process of production of (his ' meal-Hour is a trade secret. Patents | s have been granted in New Zealand, Aus--1 tralia, Africa, United States of Anicrica, " while patents have been applied for iu , ' Argentine and other countries through- 1 • out the world. The promoters of the venture claim that the advantages of the t '■ iittat-flour are: (I) High food value: (2) 1 special keeping qualities; CO it is palat- J ! able; (■!) it can bo cooked in ten j 3 minutes. It is further contended that . lib of meat-Hour will give more than 1 eight nourishing meals. The promoters | ' have not asked for Government assist- j - iince, but have merely represented to the Department of Industries and Commerce 5 1 that when the financial situation itn- ! proves thev intend to establish a new and 1 ' useful industry." J I Professor F. P. Worley. M.A.. D.Se., 3 Auckland University College, reports that analysis shows that the meal llour ( "contains a remarkably small percentage of water, far smaller than that found in t most condensed foods. 1 do not know of a meat food which contains so little. It should keep well. A sample which I have had for some months shows 110 percep- : ■ tible change, and I believe it could safely be packed in cardboard packets." Upwards of SO per cent of the llour consists of protein, including all nitrogenous material. Professor Worley states that, after close examination of Ihe processes at the works, he was satisfied that the vitamines j present in fresh meal—and so essenlial , in all foods—wore not destroyed during 1 manufacture. From his inquiries it j would appear that the new food was 1 well adapted even for those people who could not digest ordinary meat. A PRACTICAL TEST. " After considering the analysis and J, statements made by Professor Worley, adds the report, "the department is eon- .1, vinced of the food value of the meat-Hour, and the most important points that now need inquiry are: (1) Whether large q ' quantities of mcat-llour of quality equal n to that of the samples analysed can be I produced; (2) whether the meat-flour is J, j beneficial to health; and (■"!) what is the s i I cost of production ? With a view to clear- j 1 j ing up these points, a representative of j this department attended the nllicial 1 opening of the meat-Hour works at ~ j Uangataua 011 August 17, and inspected I the factory and processes as well as j) ! investigating the cost of production, n After the opening of the factory the :>■ visitors were provided with a dinner 'j corn-prising several dishes made from meat-llour, and all present were very favourably impressed with the quality of 11 the food. The function was held at the King's Court Hotel, Ohakune, and ihe H ; guests were unaware until the conclusion al of the meal that the various soups, rissoles, meat-pasties, etc., were made from ,n anything but ordinary meat. The pro- O prielress of the hotel stated lhat the cooking had been easily and expeditiously performed with the aid of typewritten 1 ■ recipes supplied by the promoters. This hi was a striking demonstration of the * value of meat-Hour as a palatable food. .... It is claimed that meal-Hour j is also easily digestible, and that a J[j ! great variety of savoury dishes can be in I made according lo recipes which the pro- j, I motors intend to include iu every pack- ! age of the product. With (he protection , given by (he organisation and regula- J, lions of the Public Health Department h< I there should be 110 difficulty iu the Gov- si I erment ensuring that ihe commodity is '! I manufactured and packed under entirely ai I sanitary conditions. So far as can be S I | judged, it already appears that the pro- JJJ j cesses of manufacture are very sat is- j.j ! factory in this respect. m j ENORMOUS MARKETS. u "It must, however, lie recognised that u . iti tropical, arid, and semi-arid countries , there will lie an ENORMOUS MARKET' | for a produce like meat-Hour, and such st j markets are at present unexploitcd by I the fresh and frozen meat trades. The ||| I diversion of a portion of our meat sup- !•'< 1 plies into such channels would be a oreat tl! i benefit to the farmer, and give meat "J prices in other markets a chance loist harden. j tli i "The Department of Industries and !|'o Commerce is much impressed by tile iin prospects of ibis industry, and commends | its possibilities to the serious attention in j..f i!u g «cral I'uhEc." jm