RECENT EXPERIMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 39, 14 May 1907, Page 6

RECENT EXPERIMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT.

Ia a report by the Italian Minister of Agriculture on the subject of refrigerating in Italy, is given some interesting results obtained by the Craveri process for preserving meat, a process which was discussed some months ago, but of which a more definite idea can now be formed since a series of experiments has been conducted under the direction of a number of University professors.

The Craveri method would seem is have solved the problem hitherto unsolved of preserving meat in a form fit to be eaten, by means of chemical treatment. Excluding for hygenic reasons ordinary antiseptics, and recognising aa insufficient for practical purposes the usual method of salting Craveri resorts to injections into the . veins of slaughtered animals, from which the blood has been drained, of a solution of 100 parts of water, 25 of kitchen salt, and fpur of acetic acid ; in other words, of a solution of a mixture of substances such as are found normally in our bodies, and which form part of our nourishment. The solution is injected to the amount of one-tenth of the weight of the living animal. Professor Brusaferro, of Turin, experimented upon two animals a sheep and a calf. The two carcases were hung in a subterranean room for 75 days at a temperature of 16deg. Cenigrade (about 61 deg. Fahrenheit). After this time they were skinned, dressed and cut up. The heart brain*, liver, and intsstines seemed somewhat macerated, but were normal in appearance. The fat beneath the skin was perfectly preserved, the flesh appearing bright red in colour, moist, and givfng out an agreeable slightly acid odour. In no part was there any trace of putrefaction, even incipient. This meat boiled produced an excellent broth, resembling in every particular that obtained from fresh meat Roasted it was tender, and even tasted better than ordinary meat , was digestible and nutritious. As a result of these and other experiments, Professor Brusaferro declares it as his opinion that the Craveri method promises great advantages over others. The other professors engaged in the experiments came to exactly the samo conclusions. Submitted to a bacteriological examination, the meat proved to be free from bacteria. . Though Russia’s wheat-growing so|Lfe almost the most fertile in existence, yet she only faises^e^bt