MEAT RESEARCH WORK

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 37, 7 November 1933, Page 11

MEAT RESEARCH WORK

Central Control Urged POVERTY BAY OPINIONS Dominion Special Service. Gisborne, November 6. The necessity for some central body to control research into matters concerning frozen meat was again stressed by the Poverty Bay and East Coast Sheepowners’ Union's committee meeting to-day, when tlie attitude of the Meat Board delegates was criticised. The president, Mr. C. 11. Williams, said he could not agree with the stand taken by the Poverty Bay delegates to the electoral college in endorsing the attitude of the board, which considered that a subsidy to the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station was sufficient. Things were going on in the works at Gisborne that might be or might not be on the right lines, and research was necessary to prove whether they were right. Independent and careful research was the duty of the Meat Board. Last year, Mr. Williams added, there were innumerable complaints of bone taint in cattle, and no one knew what caused it. The Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station could do nothing to help the Gisborne farmer in this’respect. Methods of handling carcases differed at the various works. One instance he quoted was iu regard to the wiping of the carcases. In one freezing works one. cloth was used for two careases only, whereas at another works a cloth was used until worn out. One method might be as effective as the other, but there was no one to say definitely that that was so, or to say that one was wrong and the oilier right. Therefore, he wished tlie union to be dissociated from the attitude taken by the delegates. Mr. F. E. Humphreys said that while there was no central research station, the efforts in this direction by individual works benefited only’ those works and hot the producers as a whole. Also, there was considerable overlapping as a result of individual effort. Mr. E. R. Black added his protest to that of Mr. 'Williams on the action taken bv the delegates to the Meat Board electoral college. In regard to bone taint, it had been suggested that the cause was the overheating of the beasts in driving, but he did not think this was so. . The president said that a prominent Hawke's Bay meat buyer had said that this complaint bad been frequent, and suggested that the cattle should be starved for 24 hours before they were driven to the works. Two of the members said that they had had to make refunds last season owing to the discovery of bone taint in beef, the loss totalling about. £lOO for the two members mentioned. Tlie meeting endorsed the president’s attitude.'