Aust, sales fall in wake of meat scandal

Press, 25 August 1981, Page 6

Aust, sales fall in wake of meat scandal

NZPA Canberra Sales', of Australian meat had begun to slow in the United'States since the. dis? covery that horse and kangaroo meat were substituted for. boneless beef in export packs, the Primary Industry Minister (Mr Peter Nixon) said yesterday. He expressed concern that the Americans may stop imports until a Federal Australian police inquiry into the meat switching racket had .been completed. The police team investigating the racket had been increased from five to 11. and Mr Nixon hoped that charges would be laid soon. . “It is obviously an extensive problem, as more horse and, . kangaroo meat was found over the week-end,” he said.

The Federal Government held discussions last week with the American Ambassador (Mr Robert Nesen) and the United States special trade representative, William Brock.

“They were totally satisfied we were doing everything we could to choke off the problem." Mr Nixon said. Another of Mr Nixon’s fears is that the situation could give a spur to the powerful United States meat lobby in Washington in its attempts to have countercyclical beef legislation passed. The legislation would restrict beef imports in times of high American production.

“We can only hope the. American; Administration will take Mr Brock’s advice that we are doing our best to resolve the problem and. they’ll take 15 years of good trading into account.” ( Mr Nixon would give few details yesterday on the progress made by the police inquiry except to say that the racket appeared to be confined to Melbourne. He said he was. not able to name other companies under investigation except the pro : freeze company, where the first of the substitute meat had been discovered. ; The Federal police squad investigating the fraud will check assertions made by' a meat union official that he knows who was responsible for the fraud.