FIT FOR EXPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 199, 5 January 1942, Page 5

FIT FOR EXPORT

DRIED MEAT TEST KEPT FOR OVER THREE MONTHS An unusual exhibit graced. the table fronting the chairman at last meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Union, in the shape of a thermos containing hot soup prepared a few hours before the meeting from de~ hydrated beef.® This, meat had formed part of the experiments commenced earlier in the year by the Union's tives, with a view to ascertaining, to what extent, if at all, dehydrated meat could help to solve the Dominion's problem of dealing with its surplus, stocks. In collaboration with two experts, Messrs W. E. Fullerton and T. P. Pountney, arrange* ments had been made for the shipment to Great Britain of a scwt parcel, and when it was ready for shipment the Government had agreed to accept responsibility for its des-t , patch to the High Commissioner in London. The report upon this lot, according to Captain Rushwortli, had been rather disappointing. However, a small parcel of the same clalss of meat, which had been prepared in identical; manner, had formed part of the luggage that he, in company with the Secretary o>f the Union, Mr A. E. Robertson, had taken. 011 their recent trip to> the Netherlands: East Indies. It had been enclosed in an ordinary carton, and for over , three months had been subjected to extremely varied tem-' peratures, mostly in a humid tropical atmosphere. A portion of the meat had been taken this morning from the bulk, the only addition made to the soup prepared therefrom being onions and salt. About a score of samples were handed round to members. They declared themselves well satisfied with the soup, which. Avas very palatable. Mr Fullerton explained details connected with the processing of the meat, and stated that an order had been received from the Marketing Department for a consignment, which was now being prepared. If the Department was satisfied with this trial order, and decided to order larger and regular quantities, the necessary machinery could readily be installed from plant within the Dominion. If private enterprise wefe entrusted with carrying out the industry capital would be at. once obtainable. National Urgency Captain Rushwortli said there was no reason for the Government" to delay in taking up the project, which was a matter of national urgency. In Malaya at the present time there were large forces fighting desperately against the Japanese invasion. Many of these—Australians for example—were soldiers w.lio had always been accustomed to a sub- - stantial meat ration. So long as they were fighting from camps where refrigeration was possible they could get meat supplies, but once the conflict developed into a "war of movement" such arrangements were impracticable. In Malaya fresh meat would not keep more than a couple of hours without refrigeration. This compressed meat clearly solved the problem. The Army heads in Malaya were wholeheartedly in favour of this; method of securing a meat ra r tion for their troops, and it was up to the New Zealand Government to , let them knoy that this" country was ready to'meet the demand. It was true the Australians had got in first in seeking this market, but in view of the large surplus: of meat in the Dominion, which would have to be sold at a heavy loss or destroyed, it seemed incredible • that the Government should hesitate to take prompt and decisive action. The urgent need for a bold and . comprehensive scheme could scarcely be exaggerated. We had hundreds of tons of meat-dying in our stores,, for want of a market, and manyf thousands of troops requiring it* while ample shipping could be provided by the Dutch East Indies Navigation Company if proper arrangements were made for cargo and loading. Amongst visitors was Mr Eady, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, who congratulated the? Union on its enterprise in demonstrating the practicability of the dehydration of meat as a means of assisting to solve the Dominion's problem of how to dispose of our surplus meat without encroaching oik space in refrigerated ships.