Boning rooms suspended

Press, 5 September 1981, Page 6

Boning rooms suspended

NZPA Canberra The Australian Federal Government yesterday took decisive action in the meat scandal by suspending the export activities of all 27 independent boning rooms in Victoria, from midnight on Monday. The Minister for Primary Industry (Mr Peter Nixon) said that the suspension was for 30 days or until the operators could meet certain, requirements of the Bureau of Animal Health. The executive director of the Cattle Council of Australia. Mr Andrew. Robb, immediately welcomed the move. ■ “It is pretty tough action, which we have been looking for from the minister." Mr Robb said. Mr Nixon also announced the deregistration of a second meat company, Jason

Meats Pty, Ltd. of Abbotsford. Melbourne. An earlier deregistration was handed to.another Victorian company. Profreeze, following discovery of horsemeat and kanga’roo meat in samples in Melbourne. Announcing, the Jason Meats deregistration. Mr Nixon said that a further j meat sample.:.-tested in the United;States confirmed the < presence of, horsemeat. The horsemeat scandal has i also had repercussions on ] Queensland’s kangaroo trade. As the State’s political ; leaders threatened to negoti- i ate direct with the United States over beef exports, a leading kangaroo dealer said in Brisbane that the industry ’ was being scaled down. Mr Ken Smith, a director j of D.P.F. Boning, said that i 1000 shooters had been stood j down in Queensland in areas , where it * was almost? « impossible to get any other kind ot employment. ... . • ’<j _