Cutting And Packaging Meat

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 7

Cutting And Packaging Meat

A LTHOUGH some of the freezing companies in Canterbury are increasing their exports of cut and packaged lamb and beef, other companies are still continuing to export frozen meat mainly in carcase form.

One company in the 19621963 season increased its exports of cut and packaged beef by about 60 per cent, on toe previous year and is still expanding this aspect of its business.

Another company reported that it was processing very little beef cuts for the export trade at present, but might be expanding its activities in the future.

One firm engaged in meat packaging has recently established a branch in Canterbury and is developing its export trade in beef cuts. However, two other firms are not handling beef cuts at all. With the exception of one company, which is not dealing at present with meat cuts, the other firms are cutting and packaging lamb for export to markets all over the world. The market in the

West Indies is being developed and expanded by most exporters, and both Canada and the United States are taking quite a considerable quantity of both lamb and beef in various forms. Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Bermuda, Norway and Greece and numerous islands in the Pacific are among the markets being developed by the various freezing companies. A spokesman for the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company Ltd., said his firm was cutting only a small proportion of beef at present, and this wag destined for the higher-priced markets of North America and Hawaii. However, it was expected there could be a considerable increase in the quantity of beef cuts next year. Towards this end the company is building a new processing block ait its Belfast works which will include cutting and packaging rooms for both lamb and beef, together with freezing and cold storage rooms, whilst the company has a lamb-cutting room which has been working the year round producing a considerable volume of lamb cuts for world markets.

With some of its best lamb the company exports a complete side of lamb which is cut and trimmed, with the four pieces individually wrapped in a polythene bag and packed in an attractive colour carton weighing about 111 b.

Although lamb cuts were becoming an increasing part of the company's business,

the spokesman thought it unlikely that they would supersede carcase meat in volume of exports for many years, particularly to the United Kingdom market Proportionately, lamb cuts comprised only a small percentage of the total lamb and mutton exports, he said. The reverse applied to beef cuts, where the greater quantity of beef was exported from New Zealand in cut form. However, bis company was one of the few still exporting carcase beef which was Shipped in quarters, the spokesman said. One of the most important aspects of the freezing industry’s present activities is that companies are continually changing and developing new packs to meet the greatly varying requirements of every established and potential market.