RESEARCH INTO COLD STORAGE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6943, 24 June 1929, Page 10

RESEARCH INTO COLD STORAGE

Cold storage research is now receiving more attention from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and for the second year in succession a series of experimental shipments of fruit have been despatched on 12 vessels. The fruit Ims been selected with special reference to locality of growth, size, maturity and variety, records 01. temperature have been kept from tho time of its being gathered until its examination bv officers of the Low Temperature Research station at Cambridge, England. These observations have been suplcmeiiled by the iuvestigations carried out by Mr. L. Tiller, of the Cawtliron Institute, oil suitable storage temperatures for export varieties of apples. One of tho important varieties being examined is the Cos's orange variety, which frequently arrives in England in poor condition. At the conclusion of the present season much valuable information should be available concerning the influence of maturity, orchard factors and temperatures on the storage of our more important export varieties.

It is pleasing to record the co-opera-tion that lias been evinced between fruit growers, the Department of Agriculture, the Cawthron Institute, the cool storage authorities and the shipping companies, which co-operation has greatly facilitated the conduct of the work.

Attention is now being extended to the cold storage of meat, a special committee having been set up by the New Zealand -Micat Producers’ board with a view to giving this matter full consideration, and to inaugurate experiments in association with the Cambridge Low Temperature Research station. Realising the need for the elimination of loss of meat in transport, and (lie importance of quality maintenance, upon which our meat industry so largely depends, the proposed investigation is most timely. Two members of the, department’s staff arc assisting on the committee.

Negotiations are also proceeding in connection with cheese transport and cold storage, in which tiro co-operation of the Cambridge Low Temperature Research station with the Dairy Produceboard is being sought.