MARKING FROZEN MEAT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 55

MARKING FROZEN MEAT.

The New Zealand Produce Commissioner in London reported to the AgentGeneral on March 50th, as follows,:—At the request of the chairman of the Central Chamber of Agriculture I attended a meeting of the Council of the Associated Chambers of Agriculture, which was held at the rooms of the Society of Arts, Adelphi, on 29th instant. Among other subjects discussed by the members of .the Council was the sale of imported meat as English. The question of branding imported meat wss considered.' The chairman and secretary .knowing that this was a subject to which -I had 'given considerable attention, and that I itad a Jeiv years ago given evidence ablative to the matter before a committee 'of the House of Commons, I was asked to shortly address the meeting. Having explained the prevalence of the practice among unscrupulous butchers of substituting imported maat for English, and supplying it to their caistomiea.'s as such at English prices, 1 pointed out that New Zealand suffered in a similar manner to British agriculturists through the substitution of inferior meat from other countries lor Hie product of the colony. ~ . . *vy I explained that the opinion in Lew Zealand was not unanimously m favour of meat-marking, but that a number or those interested in the meat trade there were opposed to it, considering that the application of a brand to New Zealand meat would be hurtful to its sale here. At the same time, I considered that ' the effect of branding niefit would not be unfair to anyone, as at would simply be an indication and guarantee to ’consumers that they were being supplied with the article asked for. It would be no interfernce with free trade, being merely a precaution to ensure that lieetrade was fair trady. .... ~ Having during my recent visit to New Zealand obtained a supply of -the patent ink suitable for indelible meat-markiuGf, I have offered to give tlie Chamber of Agriculture a demonstration as to how easily and effectively meat-marking van be accomplished A resolution to the effect that imported meat should be marked was unanimously carried by the meeting.