CHILLED AUSTRALIAN BEEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19904, 25 September 1926, Page 19

CHILLED AUSTRALIAN BEEF.

EXPERIMENTAL CONSIGNMENT. MOULD THROUGH OVERCROWDING. iFbom Ode own Cobbebpondent.i LONDON, July 31. Much interest has centred around the shipment of Australian chilled beef which has been on sale at Smithfieid Markets these last two days. The consignment came by the s.s. Port Auckland, and consisted of 720 quarters from Brisbane and 41 quarters shipped by the Western Australian Government from Wyndham. Six different firms received the meat on consignment. Unfortunately for the Australian shippers and the Perfect Food Process Proprietary (Ltd.) most of the meat arrived in a muldy condition, but all agree that this is no reflection on the chilling process, but on the conditions of transport. It is considered that the quarters were hung too closely together. As a matter of tact the mould is found only on the shank and lower portions of the legs, the loins and upper portion of the legs are free. The reason for this is obvious. The cool air ’ from the bottom of the chamber circulated freely on the portions of the quarters nearest the ground, but failed to circulate freely higher up, probably because the quarters were too close together. This applies to the quarters shipped a Brisbane, but not to the 41 shipped at Wyndham. The latter were smaller quarters, and consequently had more room. The result is that they are in a perfectly good condition. “They are handy weights,” said one of the stallholders, “and the moat is good. There is nothing wrong with the chilling, and for a first experiment there is not much to complain of. It has definitely proved that it is quite possible to bring chilled beef from Australia.” The meat has arrived in warm weather, so the sale will have to be a rapid one. The opinion was expressed that in 24 hours the mouldy taste would penetrate right into the meat. Yesterday the quarters were being trimmed and cut up into joints for disposal. (Sixpence per lb was paid for the Wyndham meat, but there would be a general loss on the Brisbane meat.