The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 2687, 29 March 1894, Page 2

The Star.

[published daily]

I THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1894. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.— REPORTED IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. The telegram published yesterday concerning the reported discovery of a new method of tbawiDg frozen meat, which is likely to add materially to the value of the colonial article, is an .amplification of a shorter report to the same effect received by cable some little time ago. Tbe Wellington paperß publish tbe full text oi tbe report of Mr Lowe, Government expert, whiob gives further particulars. From , i these we learn that Mr Lowe has written in tbe following terms :—■" Everybody at all acquainted with tbe frozen meat tirade of New Zealand is fully aware what an immense advantage it would be if tbe meat oould be brought to London in a obilled instead of a frozen state. Chilled meat would realise about a penny a pound more than frozun, and attempts are being made to secure this advantage by providing means for bringing it chilled. It is not in thia direction, however, that I wish the colonist this week to turn bis attention, It has long been held by practioal

and also scientific men that if a better system of thawing frozen meat oould be < oarried ouypae prioe realised for it would be gr&atl? augmented. This disoovery J has at last been made, not by a scientist, but by an engineer. Mr Washington, the engineer of Messrs Wells and Co., of the Cold Stores, Port Said, is tbe fortunate discoverer. He and Mr Licbtenberg, of the same firm, have been making a series of experiments to verify the advantages of the discovery. A few days ago one of the )6Bt butchers in Smithfield was invited to examine beef treated by the new method of thawing. He came prepared wilb a knife and a sceptical mind. Before cutting tbe meat he declared it would • weep ' on being cvt — that is, it would exude a very much greater quantity oi the juices of tbe beef tban iresb meat would do.' He was very much surprised that it did not behave as be had anticipated. It cut very freely, and no more juice ran out of the beef than if it bad been freßb. When first cut it is blue, but in about five minutes attains a beautiful ruby color, aod remains exactly like fresh beef. The process is still a secret, but a provisional patent has been applied for. I have learnt, however, that tbe operation of thawing is oarried out by the use of electricity in connection with a series of fans to carry off the outside moisture. Tbe period of thawing extends over four or five days, bub the cost is infinitesimal' when tbe operation is carried on at large freezing stores, where there is generally an installation of electricity. It is tbe opinion of several of the best authorities in tbe frozen meat trade to whom I have spoken that beef will at least realise a& much under this method of thawing as if it were chilled, and that tbe price of mutton will be enhanced to the extent of a halfpenny or a penny per lb." We very tincerely hope that the report may prove to be correct, for, more particularly io reference to beef, many persons have assured us, especially gentlemen Irom th'iß district who have recently been Home, that tho weak point about tbe beef is tbe serious extent to which it " weeps," as the expression is, when cut up, and the main consequence of which is tbab before cooking it has an unpleasant appearance and after cooking an insipid taste.