TUBERCULOUS MEAT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15917, 2 June 1917, Page 4

TUBERCULOUS MEAT.

ITS FITNESS AS FOOD.

A message from London in yesterday's paper stated that tho Scottish Loral Government Beard was permitting tho sale of meat from beasts suffering from tuberculosis, providing that it had been properly sterilised, and that tho English Local Government Board was considering the question. . The information comes somewhat as a shock to mo3t people, as it i s popularly believed that a beast which is suffering from tuberculosis in any shape , or' form is necessarily unfa for human food. As a matter of fact, tho meat inspectors both at Homo and in New Zealand axe allowed discretion, within bounds, ns to whether they shall condemn a careuso of meat from a- beast which shows tubercular lesions in soma of its organs. Tuberculosis is certainly ono of tho most important diseases tlio meat inspector has to deal with, and the majority of cattle beasts and pigs which are condemned at abattoirs and freezing works are cast out on account of tubercular disease. Tho recommendations of tho Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, issued by tho English Local Government Board as a guido to meat inspectors, contain tho following points:— Tho carcase, if otherwiso healthy, shall not be condemned, but every part containing tuberculous lesions •shall bo seized (a) whon tho lesions aro confined to the lungs and tho thoracic lymphatic glands, (h) when tho ksions aro confined to tlio liver, (c) when tho lesions aro confined t\» tho pharyngeal lymphatic glands, (d; whon the lesions are confined to an? combination of tho foregoing, but aro oo'.lectivoly small in extent. Tho entire carcase and all the cr gans may h© seized (a) when there" i miliary tuberculosis of bath lungs, (h when tuberculous lesions aro present on the pleura and peritoneum, (c) when tuberculous lesions aro present in the mmcular system or in tho lymphatic glands, embedded in or between the muscles, (d) when tubor- j •culous les : ons exist in any part of an I emaciatsd carcase. J In view of the groatcr tendency to i generalisation of tuberculosis in tho ' pig, the recommendations stat© thatth. of tubeieu.ar deposit in any degree should involve seizure of tiu wholo carcass and of the organs. Some authorities think that this recommendation regarding pigs is to.severe, and stato that whero only tin? lymphatic glauds of the head aro affected. the head should bo cut off and destroyed, and tho carcase, if free from disease,, passed.

It -will be soon that tuberculous lesions in a carcaso do not necessarily mean that the whole of the meat is unfit for human consumption, but the proposal as outlined in tho cablo messago quoted is probably intended to indicate that a system on the lines of the German "Freibanks" is to be instituted. For a- good! many years now tho Germans hare systematically utilised diseased meat as human food without, so far as is known, an-" untoward results occurring. It is said that th e agriculturists in Germany have derived much benefit from tho introduction of thesa ' fr®'hanks," as tho meat of animals which wore not in perfect health can be legitimately utilised by being cooked or sterilised! to such a degree as to absolutely destroy al] disease. Formerly this class of meat was either destroyed or bought by a questionable class of butchers; now it is sterilised, graded as "second class" meat, and largely used for making potted meats, sausages, and such-like products. Tho process fi.,- fc —prolonged subjection to heat—naturally causes it to kso some of its flavour and nutritive qualities, but it still remains a useful foodstuff.