Test boning, cutting of Omegas

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32874, 24 March 1972, Page 13

Test boning, cutting of Omegas

Omega-type lambs belonging to the Meat Board are being partially boned and cut at a processing plant at Harewood to determine whether they can be marketed more profitably in this form than in the traditional carcase form, in which they are discounted.

They are being test marketed in Japan and other markets. But a spokesman for C. S. Stevens and Company, of Christchurch, who are controlling and supervising the boning and cutting as agents for the Meat Board, said this week that the work was still experimental and best results could not be expected at the outset and major benefit could also accrue indirectly from having a more consistent grade of lamb on the United Kingdom market. The lambs are being processed at Air Foods (N.Z.) Ltd, at Harewood. The spokesman for C. S. Stevens and Company said that about 23,000 carcases had been processed so far and it was hoped to receive 50,000 in chilled state so that they could, at least be partly boned. This, however, provided for only seasonal operation of the processing plant and for maximum efficiency it was necessary to work on a

year-round basis, so that outside the killing season it was anticipated processing frozen carcases into standard cuts of legs, loins and forequarters. A boneless product was being produced from carcases minus the legs. The reasons for this were that it was envisaged selling the boneless portions in the Japanese market and it was not felt that the Japanese would appreciate the extra value of the leg portion, and as well it was being found that as the season progressed a major difficulty with the Omegas was the fat around the loins and chump (the rump) and this was where the Omega differed from the prime lamb. The bone-in leg that was being produced had been described by the company’s European agent as being excellently trimmed and ideal for the Continental market and particularly Italy. They were also looking

into processing legs for France and these Omega cuts were also being tested in the United Kingdom. It was expected that the price for the bone-in leg would be higher than for the boneless product. It should be possible to get for the legs the same price as would be obtained for legs cut off prime or Y grade lambs. The bone-in loin, however, had more fat than that from a prime lamb and it was believed that it would have to be discounted as compared with the loins of primes or second quality lambs. As far as the boneless product was concerned, this was a completely new item this year and it was considered that it would be an ideal product for the Japanese, but it was first necessary to get the pro duct introduced to the Japanese market before it was possible to start getting premium prices.

It had to be remembered, however, that the Japanese market was a small one for lamb so that they had to look at selling boneless lamb in other markets as well. This, he believed, applied to all lamb and wherever there were school lunch programmes, factory meals to be dispensed or any sort of cafeteria or sandwich bars, there must be prospects for boneless lamb, and with the British levy now in operation it was necessary to land meat there without extra bone, which attracted levy, and this meant that it was not so desirable now to have carcases cut in the United Kingdom. A United Kingdom buyer had commented that they were certain that the boneless lamb product would meet a good demand from the catering trade, but it would take a considerable time to get it distributed widely enough to move large quantities. Hotels and caterers, he added, did not readily change their purchasing arrangements. It was, he noted, almost impossible to recover costs from bone-in lamb cuts on a regular basis, so that by cutting these lambs they were not increasing their chances of making a good profit on them. The spokesman said that if it was possible to come up with a satisfactory system of “de-freezing” lambs to a state where they could be successfully boned, they would like to see all Omegas further processed into largely boneless product. One of the reasons why lambs today were at prices which were not particularly attractive was because of the low value placed on the loin, said the spokesman for Stevens. If the lamb loin could be presented in boneless form it should be able to bring a price approaching that of a beef fillet, for which the demand

now exceeded available supplies. It was anticipated that the return which the Meat Board would get on a carcase basis from the present exercise would equate the price which some operators were prepared to accept for the sale of YM or second quality 29 to 361 b lambs to Japan in carcase form. They were confident, however, that as the product became accepted in Japan it would earn a premium over current realisations. “This is something that is new this year. It is still very much in the experimental stage and we cannot expect to see immediate results,” said the spokesman. On the point of de-freez-ing, Mr W. J. Polson, chairman of the Meat Board’s grades committee, told the electoral committee of the board this week that microwave meat tempering would enable frozen carcases to be boned out all the year round giving the look of freshness to frozen meat. Microwaves under controlled temperature tempered the meat from the inside outwards. There was no bleeding as with thawing and the hygiene standard was maintained with a minmum loss of weight. Questions about the boning and cutting of Omegas were asked at this week’s meeting of the electoral committee of the Meat Board. Mr B. H. Palmer, North Canterbury representative, asked how soon a statement would be made on the profitability of cutting. In reply, Mr Polson said that he did not think that they could discuss profitability but it might not be as good as the board hoped. "I do not think it is a bonanza.” Mr Palmer said it was often stated that such lambs were bought cheaply and then cut in the United Kingdom and sold as a premium product How a butcher cut and sold them in the United Kingdom was something that was not under their control said Mr Polson.