PACKAGED MEATS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 11

PACKAGED MEATS

New Research Avenues

There was a growing de-’ mand for smaller and leaner joints for pre-packaged meat, and for processed and precooked meats of many kinds, Mr N. H. Law, director of the Meat Industry Research Institute, told the farmers' conference at Canterbury Agricultural College yesterday. He was discussing future trends in meat research. Against this changing background any programme of meat research had to be envisaged, he said. The pre-packaged meat trade was a recent development and would expand. It was necessary to study the product within the package. One special field of interest was what had been called product climatology. That was w-hat the product required in terms of atmosphere, temperature, lighting, and other influences to ensure that it reached the consumer in the most acceptable condition.

Off-cats Off-cuts from the pre-cut trade posed the problem of their profitable use. A home economic unit planned for the institute would undertake a measure of utilisation research as well as undertaking quality evaluation, recipe formulation and cooking studies on selected cuts designed for the overseas markets. “There is an increasing need to advise overseas customers as to the best methods of thawing and cooking selected cuts of New Zealand lamb,” said Mr Law. “The home economic unit will have advisory and propaganda responsibilities Aimed at helping the marketing of our products overseas.

“Water is our most valuable commodity for export. Consequently every effort should be made to reduce weight loss in carcases and cut meats to a minimum. Plastic films help enormously in this problem so long as they are used intelligently. “Under moisture conservation comes (the important question of controlled climates for cut meats. Cut meat loses moisture rapidly, and is highly perishable. Optimum conditions for cutting rooms have still to be established, and it is proposed to examine this question soon. It will not be long before air-conditioned cutting rooms will be seen in all works preparing pre-cut meats for export. “The evaluation of blast freezing is long overdue. Already a fairly comprehensive study on physical aspects of freezing meat in cartons has been completed. Very soon this will be extended to freezing carcase meat with and without plastic wraps under blast conditions. “Bacteriology standards are becoming increasingly important, and much has to be learned in this field. It will not surprise me if bacteriological certification is not introduced before long.” BRITAIN AND E.E.C. Mr Ormond’s Views A decision by Britain to join the European Economic Community would undoubtedly be the greatest political decision of a century, Mr J. D. Ormond, chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, told the Lincoln College farmers’ conference yesterday. It would merge Britain, however gradually, into a United States of Europe and she would become simply one department of the greater Europe. Discussing the implications of this for New Zealand, Mr Ormond said that there were some who argued that because of the long-term prospects that New Zealand might have of building substantial markets for lamb, mutton and beef in Europe, there could be some adequate compensation arranged for this country there for any loss of opportunity that it might suffer in the United Kingdom. "This view appears to take no account of the E.E.C.’s declared intention to achieve self-sufficiency in meat—-a position which she has almost attained at present,” he said. There were also those, said Mr Ormond, who said that New Zealand should accept Britain’s entry into the E.E.C. and take the loss as an investment for a stronger market in Britain in the future, but so drastic would the effect be of the present agricultural proposals that the industnr would hardly be in a condition to enjoy the benefits theoretically to be received at some unspecified future date.