BORACIC ACID IN BACON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19731, 2 September 1927, Page 14

BORACIC ACID IN BACON.

Sir,—The prosecutions against firms for using boracic acid in bacon should be sufficient to give assurance that the Health Department is alive to its duty in this matter. Counsel for the curers is alleged to have stated that it was a common practice to use boracic. It may have been with some, but that does not apply to all curers, nor to the company I represent, and I unhesitatingly say—and I claim to have had the dontrol and handling of more pork than any other man in New Zealand—that there is no necessity whatever for the use of Jsoracic in curing bacon. England has prohibited the use of this article. America, with a generous regard for the health of the people, prohibits the use of boracic; Germany, France and Australia the same, and in New Zealand the Health Department is endeavouring to stop the practice. I wish to repudiate the statement that boracic acid in curing baon was in general use.: The war against it has been waging for years past, and all the leading countries of the world have said, "Away with it. Think of the enormous quantity of bacon cured in America; consider the hnge import of approximately £50,000,000 worth annually of ham and bacon into Britain, all of which i 3 free from boracic. _ Australia, with its warm climate, will nothave it. I hove sent quantities of cured bacon to London free of boracic and it was reported as : being beautifully mild. I throw out the challenge that I am prepared to have 10 slides of bacon cured, witlfe only the wholesome ingredient"! which the law allows, and place this against 10 sides cured with the aid of boracic acid, and prove to the satisfaction of the Health Department that nonboracic bacon can be produced beautifully mild, but at the same time with a feasor able flavour and that it will keep jus* as long. S. O. Baron. General Manager for .* , ... J. C. Button m.Z/): Ltd ' Wellington.