PRICE RISE 'UNLIKELY'

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 18

PRICE RISE 'UNLIKELY'

Meal-content regulations Smallgoods and pie manufacturers in Christchurch were unanimous yesterday in saying that new regulations specifying the minimum meat content of pies, hamburger patties, sausages, and other prepared meat foods were most unlikely to have any | effect on prices. I In most instances, manufacturers said, the meat content of their products was ; already above the minimum I set by the new regulations, announced on Wednesday. These specify a 90 per cent minimum pure-meat content in hamburger and beefburger patties, and a minimum of 25 iper cent pure meat in pies land sausage rolls, increased Ito 35 per cent if the filling lis “manufactured meat.” i The manager of Murphy's Perfect Pies (Mr P. J. Adolfs) said that between 75 and 80 I per cent meat content was fused in the filling for the company’s pies. Mr H. E. iStevenson, of Stevenson and [Son, declined to specify the actual meat content in his company’s pie filling, but said the new regulations would have no effect on his company. Of the larger bakeries, which include pies in their manufacture, most said they used between 50 and 55 per cent pure meat content in their fillings. Among the smallgoods manufacturers, who supply the greatest part of the hamburger trade, the meat content ranges from 100 per cent Ito about 80 per cent, the main additives being bread or flour. Those who use additives said that they did so ' because a certain amount of bread or other filling made a more acceptable pattie—not as “chewy” as pure meat patties and which does not 1 break up the same when being cooked. Bringing the meat content up to the regulations could, in fact, adversely affect the quality of the pattie but would not make any difference to the price, said one manufacturer, who preferred to remain anonymous.