INSPECTION OF AMERICAN MEAT.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 8271, 23 November 1895, Page 7

INSPECTION OF AMERICAN MEAT.

An Order issued by the American Secretary of Agriculture, which came into force on September 16th, is to the effect that no cattle or beef shall be cleared from any port in the United States without having received a certificate from an Inspector of the Department of Agriculture, guaranteeing that the cattle are sound, or that the " beef products" were derived from animals free from disease. Our American friends (says the London Standard) are great believers in the virtue of inspection, but even they can hardly pretend that; io can afford assurance ac to canned beef, for instance, being the fleeh of auinials free from disease. £veu if no beast could be slaughtered in a canning factory without a certificate from an inspector, a post mortem examination would still be necessary to insure that no diseased meat waa used. The order, however, is intended to cairn tho fears of consumers in foreign countries, in relation to the wholesomeness of American meat, and, to some extent, it may serve its purpose. As a matter of fact, canned meat ia so thoroughly cooked that no disease germs in it are likely to survive the cooking, and the inspection should be directed to the quality of the tin and the aolder used for making the cans, both of which often contain so mnch lead that a portion of it is dissolved by the juices of the meat; also to make sure that no swollen cans (indicating the putrefaction of the contents) are shipped.