WASTE DENIED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 181, 2 August 1944, Page 4

WASTE DENIED

SERVICE RATIONS' OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONS Stories of extraordinary waste in both Allied and New Zealand Service establishments in Auckland, such as large quantities of canned food being fed to pigs instead of being released for civilian consumption, are cnce again the subject of public gossip. The man on the street who claims to be well informed on most topics, from armchair strategy to what is taking place behind the scenes, has heard it "from the Tanks themselves" or from "someone high up in the New Zealand Army." He tells you: "They're feeding beautiful tins of fruit to the pigs!" Or, "Did you hear that -our Army had so many biscuits in store that they sold them for pig food?" He proceeds 10 tell you that "it's the E3 r stem," and so on.

A senior officer of the United States Joint Purchasing Board readily admitted that canned food was being supplied to a local farmer for feeding to pigs, but he was quite emphatic that it had all been condemned. It was explained that the tins had been examined by men who were experts in canning, and. on their advice, the lots had been classed as unfit for human consumption.

The blowing of cans stored in New Zealand, due to the presence of some form of bacterial life in the containers, was a common experience, he said. Liquid from blown tins found its way on to other cans, with the result that rust developed. In many cases the rust was in such an advanced state that it was considered unwise i.o use the contents of the can for feeding to humans. One officer has very vivid recollections of the blowing of a gallon can of pineapple, for the tin struck him on the head as he was walking through a store.

Emphatic Denial Any allegation of the waste of , bulk food rations on the part of the United States authorities was given an emphatic denial by the Joint' Purchasing Board officer. Food was equally important on the home front as on the several theatres of operations, he said, and it was inconceivable - that officers stationed in New Zealand would permit serviceable rations to be destroyed. In cases of doubt, tinned foodstuffs were dumped in New Zealand rather than to the Pacific, for there deterioration was rapid. It would be inadvisable to occupy valuable shipping space with goods which might be unserviceable on arrival, or very shortly after. Preferring to the "bug" which had been discovered to have found its way into tins in the United States, the officer explained that its presence had later been detected in some of the canning plants. In other instances it had been found that the wartime pack was of in-

ferior quality owing to the shortage' of tin. Many types of "tin cans"i contained up to 98 per cent steel and 2 per cent tin. The lack of adequate tinning on cans meant that some fruit became affected in the containers as the result of acid action. The japan-, ning of cans both inside and outside had been resorted to with success. 1 The _ danger of eating canned food which might be even slightly contaminated should be fully realised by the public who made complaints. The United States officer was prepared to admit that some people might have stocks of canned 'goods which they had acquired by illegal means. There was always the serviceman who stole goods and sold them. In that respect he mentioned that while in a southern city he had noticed a line of pineatiDle in one , shop -window, and he ventured to say that not one can of that wellknown brand had been imported into New Zealand since at least the outbreak of war, and probably some time before that In the past, the officer explained, condemned canned foodstuffs had been dumped at sea. but that practice had to be discontinued owing to the wind and tide causing the tins to drift on to Auckland beaches. On one occasion a barge laden with cans for dumping had not been able to obtain a clearance toward nightfall. the harbour being closed by the naval authorities. The barge had remained anchored for the night, and in the morning it had been found that people had rowed out to he]p themselves to numerous tins. The dumping and covering with 4ft of earth of another lot of condemned tins had produced a similar result— by morning many of the cans had been dug up by people "in the know," the U.S. officer said.

Kew Zealan d Methods The disposal of 300 tins of biscuits manufactured for the New Zealand Army was advertised by tender throughout the Dominion in June. These biscuits, many of vrhich were broken., had been classed by the Food Controller and representatives of the manufacturers as" not being fit for human consumption. Their sale was made for pig, poultry or dog fpod. In all cases the "manufacturers' warranty for a certain period after manufacture had expired! Following the blowing of numerous cans of fruits packed for the New Zealand forces, it' was found that a -'bug" similar to the American one had affected one line, and, on the advice of the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research, the complete holding, which ran into many thousand tins, was dumped as being unfit for human consumption. In spite of the fact that the ting were covered with earth by a bulldozer, some people tracked down the "cache" and a considerable Quantity was dug out in one night. The experience of New Zealand Army supply officers who had to handle and store large quantities of tinned foodstuffs in the Pacific was that deterioration was racid. even when the cans were sound. In the case of a quantity of meat tinned in the Dominion it was found that acid in the glue on labels affiled over the spots where the cans were sealed caused rusting. In time rust ate through the cans and the meat became useless as the result of contamination.