Chilled beef boning for E.E.C.

Press, 11 October 1985, Page 25

Chilled beef boning for E.E.C.

A breakthrough in European Economic Community meat hygiene regulations has been achieved by the New Zealand meat industry.

Export beef from three New Zealand works can now be boned during the ehilling progress, rather than later, saving time and money. Chilling will now take only 24 hours, instead of the present 48, the director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Meat Division, Dr Alan Royal, said.

With the bone removed at the start of the process, the throughput of beef can be increased, time will be saved, and there will be no need to expand expensive refrigerated holding facili-

However the dropping of the restriction only applies to works which receive E.E.C. approval. Applications from 10 other works will now be sent to Brussels for similar dispensations. A Meat Division economist, Ms Sharon Cottrell, said the dispensation is a major breakthrough in the EE.C.’s veterinary hygiene rules.

‘lt is the first time they have granted this sort of dispensation,” she said. At present only beef chains have been granted or are applying for the dispensation, but Ms Cottrell expects sheep chains to apply in the future, now that a precedent has been set.