No Loss In Carcase Weight

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31221, 19 November 1966, Page 10

No Loss In Carcase Weight

The regulation requiring that no stock should be slaughtered on the day they were received at the freezing works, except with the permission of an inspector, had been introduced to improve the keeping quality of carcases, said Dr. J. G. Fowler, chief veterinarian of the Meat Division of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch, at a meeting of fanners, stock and station agents, freezing company and stock transport representatives, and other interested persons in Ashburton this week.

The meeting was called by the Mid-Canterbury provincial district of Federated Farmers to discuss problems arising from the 1964 amendments to the meat regulations, including the transport and slaughter of stock. Dr Fowler said this regulation had been made with the agreement of the top meat hygienists in the world, and it was now in force in other countries as well as New Zealand.

If stock were slaughtered when tired and distressed they would produce poor keeping carcases as the amount of muscle sugar was diminished.

“Why all the rush to get lambs drafted and transported to the works?” Dr. Fowler asked. He said most farmers’ answer to this was that it was to stop loss of weight in the stock. In effect, however, the loss of weight sustained by lambs from drafting to the freezing works was in manure, urine, and sweat. There was no loss of weight that would be measured at the works in finished carcases. Dr. Fowler said lambs could carry between 71b and 111 b of food inside their paunches. The only way the farmers could get payment for this was for the food to be converted to meat. Carcase weight was not lost through the enforcement of the regulation requiring stock to be held overnight for slaughter. Dr. Fowler said New Zealand was facing a changed situation with its exports of lamb and now had to tenderise the meat through ageing of the carcases before they were blast frozen. If the lambs were not properly prepared before killing putrefaction was likely to set in rather than ageing. Dr Fowler said there had been complaints from overseas not only about the toughness but of the odour of New Zealand meat Gases and bacterial action were greater in

lambs with full paunches, and there was a greater likelihood of contamination of the meat.

Mr R. G. Ross, representing local stock transport operators. said co-operation was needed between drafters, farmers, and transport operators in adhering to the new provisions. The two main transport firms in Ashburton had paid £2OO in Court fines last year for breaches of the Transport Act in carting sheep to freezing works. The companies had found that they could not keep within the killing regulations and the Transport Regulations. The Transport Regulations stated that drivers should work no more than 11 hours in a day. With farmers holding their stock as late in the day as possible, before letting them go to the works, drivers had little work to do in the mornings but had to work in the afternoon and up to midnight to complete deliveries of stock.

The only way to conform to the regulations was for drafting to be carried out a day ahead so that transport firms could effect deliveries to the works throughout the next day. Farmers would have to be educated to the fact that they would not suffer any loss through their lambs not being killed until perhaps 48 hours after drafting.

Mr Ross said there had been no scheme put forward so far which absolved transport drivers from working at night. If the Drivers’ Union required members to stop work

after completing 11 hours in a day stock would have to be left undelivered.

Several farmers questioned Dr. Fowler on certain aspects of the regulations and their effects. Some disagreed that the provision was necessary but one member said the regulation was entirely reasonable and farmers should not be narrow-minded about it Another said that producers should get over their fear of holding their lambs before sending them to the works. No decisions were reached at the meeting.