CHILLED N.Z. BEEF

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 58, 3 December 1923, Page 6

CHILLED N.Z. BEEF

TRIAL SHIPMENT TO BE MADE INVENTOR OF PROCESS ARRIVES Beef breeders and those interested in the projected experiment of the arrangement for shipping New Zealand chilled beef to tho London market will witness shortly important developments in the soheme, owing to the arrival yesterday from London of the inventor of the process under which Argentine beef is landed and marketed in Great Britain in perfect condition, Mr. J. A.' Linley, th© inventor of what is known as the “Linley System” of aiding the refrigeration and successful transport by sea of chilled beef, arrived by the Ruahine yesterday, in connection with the fitting up of a chamber at the Wellington Meat Export Company’s works at Ngahauranga for a trial shipment of New Zealand chilled beef by s.s. Kent a fast oilburning steamer during next month. Under this system, 1,250,000 quarters of chilled, beef have been successfully carried from South America to Great Britain. From Australia, said Mr. Linley yesterday, shipments have been sold in first-class condition on the London market, up to 91 days from the time of killing. These shipments were made between 1909 and 1911 from the Redbank meat works on the Brisbane River.

Mr. Linley is no stranger to Australia or New Zealand. In 1872, he joined the New Zealand Shipping Company and remained with the company until 1885. For four years he controlled the Bowen meat works in North Queensland; during that time, ho handled about 200,000 bullocks.

Naturally, Mr. Linley did not feel disposed to discuss the economic question associated with the initiation and development of a new. industry such, as that of chilled beef, in a country like New Zealand that has built up its prosperity on tho production and export of dairy products. He has no objection. however, to details of the Linley system being published. Serious losses from mould have occurred to shippers of chilled beef from the Argentine during the time in which the trade has been built up, and for years following the start of tho industry. ' Tlie less accruing from the seizures by the sanitary authorities at English ports and markets became. a pressing problem to shippers and importers. Fcr years it was parctically' impossible to {jet full insurance cover for this article in transport, and, where obtainable, underwriters sometimes charged prohibitive rates. This state of affairs set people thinking. If the fungus germ on the meat surface could be destroyed, and the atmosphere of the ship’s chamber kept sterilised, the mould trouble might be. scotched. Many men worked at this scientific problem, and eventually Mr. Linley patented a sterilising system, which has been named after him, and set up a small experimental plant in the Southhampton Docks cold stores. The first shipment tinder this system arrived in London in September, 1907, and the. process was shortly afterwards exploited in the Argentine, with the results already stated.

In tlie Linley system, the sterilising agent is evaporated by heat and driven by means of fans through ducts into the chambers or rooms wherein the meat is to bo hung, and there circulated. This vapour has the effect of destroying any bacteria that may be on the surface of the walls of the chamber. The chamber is again charged when filled with meat, which is, of course, extremely liable to gather the microbes in the course, of butchering and preparation for shipment. .After the vapour is allowed to remain in the meat chamber for at least an hour, it is driven off. The ship’s hold and the beef loaded are similarly treated. Tlie second stage consists of an apparatus designed for drying and purifying the atmosphere. This latter operation gathers the remainder of the moisture from the atmosphere,and. also removes any organic impurities. This treatment permits of application to the meat after slaughter, to the cold chamber before the meat enters, and to that chamber also when the meat is stored. Tlie apparatus is simple and comparatively inexpensive.. It provides a complete process of sterilisation, and has been taken advantage of by the big Argentine shippers of chilled beef. Eighteen years ago, there were five steamers so fitted : this number rose to 42 in th© year before the war. Tho opinion is strongly held in Great Britain that, with direct transit, and larger and more regular supplies of beef of the high grade quality required for the chilled trade available for shipment, there is no reason why chilled beef from New Zealand and Australia should not cross the ocean and enter into competition in tlie English market with that froiq the Argentine; and that until the trade, is taken up, the various export meat interests have fallen short of the full development of their industry