MEAT REFRIGERATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18325, 16 August 1921, Page 6

MEAT REFRIGERATION

A CALL TO PROGRESS. NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN HANDLING BEEF. Cold Storage, the leading London journal in connection with the meat trade, makes the following trenchant remarks on the subject of meat refrigeration: "If the question were asked as to what branch of refrigeration ot the present tiriie most loudly called for improvement of method, w© should immediately point the finger to beef refrigeration. Tlicre may be other desirable avenues for progress, both in relation to refrigeration machinery and store equipment, but there are several reasons why we hold that progress in beef refrigeration is not only admirable, but imperative- Let us enumerate them: CHILLED v. FROZEN BEEF. “In the first place, the return from war’s regime of dire necessity is closing up the world’s markets once more against relrigeratod meat of secondary value. Both \Vest Smithfield and the Halles Centrales echo this only too plainly, and Brazil and South Africa already know it to their cost. Not that these promising resources cannot supply the best, but their secondary production, everyone will admit, has to be graded up. France is growing fastidious of frozen moat —conhcle as opposed to frigoro.—and U looks as if chilled moat alone is to fill the bill for the Continental market in the not far distant future. THE QUEST FOR NEW METHODS. “Now, this is a serious matter for the British frozen meat industry. It means that the ‘ good ’ of the past is only oho ' middling ’ of the future, and that the ‘ best,’ which must bo aimed for, represents a new value perhaps not yet attained. If Europe asks tor chilled beef, can Australasia give it that article, and. if not, what will be the result as far as Europe js concerned? Wo believe, as a matter of fact, that there are already on the horizon the small clouds of the solution of this problem. Atmosphere sterilisation by the atomisation of a purifying agent aided safer chilled transport in large measure even before the war, and we look to see it so again—and not from South Africa alone. '1 non there are revised systems of freezing. There is the low temperature brine process, which science may extend from fish to flesh application, and we understand that not only has our Food Investigation Board got this subject well in hand, but that it ,s only awaiting the completion of fuller equipment at Cambridge to thrash the matter out in regard to more than one stylo of progress.

PRODUCING AND IMPORTING ENDS

UNITED.

“Perhaps not every member of the industry in this country is aware that Australia also has a Government Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The commonwealth is treading the same path as deliberately and hopefully as we are here. The thought occurs to us that as w© two sets or pilgrims are both tramping the same road, much would bo gained if we could achieve some measure of co-ordination —or, at least, co-operation—in the struggle to the common goal. The Australian investigators obviously are in closer touch with the actual conditions at the point of production, and. therefore, must be in a favourable position to give much knowledge as to the ideals of method. Any second body of investigators may be relied upon to approach a. problem at a different angle from the first; hence the recommendation we make. The Victorian Institute of Refrigeration is in close touch with the commonwealth Council of Research, as the Cold Storage tnd ' Ice Association is with the Feed Investigation Board here; and it will be interesting to see if the two trade bodies, which are affiliated, can take any practical steps along this promising route. The Government Directors of Food Investigation in Great Britain and Australia would, wo should imagine, welcome such efforts.’’