Use Of Wooden Crates For Carting Fish

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30715, 2 April 1965, Page 10

Use Of Wooden Crates For Carting Fish

Wooden crates for the cartage of fish were considered a danger to public health by the Standards Institute committee of the Fishing Industry Board, said a member of the committee, Mr G. D. Noonan.

The Health Department was also not happy about their use, he said, although it had not made any tests to see whether such crates could cause infection. Mr Noonan was commenting on a letter, signed by R. Reardon, in “The Press” on Tuesday. The correspondent blamed wooden crates for deterioration of fish, and said it was time this method of conveying food for human consumption was investigated. In comment printed with the letter, Mr M. L. Newman, managing director of P. Feron and Son, Ltd., said that the British Ministry of Health had just studied this method and had reached the conclusion that no harm could come to humans from any possible infection from even unhygienic cases unless the fish was eaten raw. As people in Britain, as in New Zealand, always cooked their fish, any contaminating bacteria were killed. “New Zealand Ahead”

New Zealand was ahead of Britain in this matter, Mr Noonan said. The British Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food had just advised the frozen food distributors that a group of experts would set up a standards institute. The New Zealand committee had almost completed research into the use of alloy and plastic crates, and a report would be presented in about a month on the matter, said Mr Noonan. A sub-committee of the Fish Industry Board transport and container sub-com-mittee—had been set up. It comprised a wholesaler, a fisherman, representatives of the departments of Health and Industries and Commerce, and a member of the Standards Institute committee. Crates had been sent to three wholesalers, in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, for testing.

So far the conclusions reached showed that the best idea would be to set up a pool of crates for rent. The three sections of the industry producer, wholesaler, and retailer —would pay in proportion to use, said Mr Noonan. Cost of Crates The pool system would get over the cost factor. The crates cost from 25s to £3 10s, compared with about 5s 9d for the wooden variety. But the dearer crates could be used 200 times, compared with three times for wood. Mr Noonan said it was estl-

mated that 100,000 crates would be needed to get the scheme going. A further 50,000 would be held in reserve. This would cost from £187,777 to £525,000. The financial side had not yet been discussed, but it was possible that either a public or private company would be set up to buy the crates which would be made in New Zealand, and rent them out. The Standards Institute committee was concerned to stop the decomposition of fish from its being carried in wooden crates, which absorbed fish juice. The juice was dried by the sun into the timber, which was wet again by a new load of fish. This fish absorbed the bacteria previously formed, and rapid deterioration ensued.

“Fish is in these crates anything up to 48 hours before reaching its final destination,” said Mr Noonan.