CANNED MEATS IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26944, 21 January 1953, Page 7

CANNED MEATS IN BRITAIN

MERCHANT COMPLAINS ‘ OF QUALITY (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, January 20. “I regret to say that some of the worst rubbish among panned meats has come from Commonwealth sources, and the unfavourable reputation created will take many years to live down,” said the retiring chairman of the Wholesale Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr H. J. Knight), addressing the association’s annual meeting in London. . . . “The muddle in canned meats which was causing us grave concern a year ago has continued unabated,’’ he said. “The vaccilations of the Ministry have been an outstanding example of inefficiency and lack of foresight. “The Meat Products Order, which was intended to come into force in September,, 1952, and which laid down minimum meat contents, was postponed until January of this year because of the large stocks of canned meats in the country which did not come up to the prescribed standards, and in December the Ministry announced the manufacture and sale of all meat products except sausages. “The wholesale trade throughout the year made repeated representations io the Ministry to lift the control on canned meats, and had our advice been taken earlier the country would have been saved considerable sums of money and the trade would not have suffered from maldistribution and exploitation by ‘spivs’ and speculators.

“Waste of Packing” “Huge quantities of inferior packs of so-called meats (the packing of which has been a waste of good tinplate and valuable shipping space) would not have reached this market and would not now be languishing in stores and warehouses with the holders of stocks wondering how much money they are going to lose. “in spite of the proposed order aiming at improved standards, the quality of many types of canned meat has seriously deteriorated during the year. I venture to predict that the chilled meat trade is about to enter a revolutionary period. The prospect of larger fresh meat supplies, together with increases in other basic foods, will cause a swing over from poor quality chopped mixtures to solid packs of the better quality types of meat we knew in the old days; but here I would sound a note of warning to the trade to be very careful what they buy. “The abandonment of minimum meat standards for canned meats is causing some concern, but I believe that full freedom for manufacturers to make the type of products they consider suitable for given markets is sound, and that consumers will ultimately decide what they want, both as regards quality and the price they are willing to pay. If any safeguard is necessary, I suggest it should be obligatory for a statement of the ingredients in percentages to appear on labels. This would protect both the trade and the customer.