THE GRADING OF MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25386, 18 November 1943, Page 6

THE GRADING OF MEAT

Sir,—l notice a statement by Mr D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Supply, on the subject of the grading of meat. The heads of the departments say they have been training graders as fast as they could to grade meat under their new system. In, my opinion this will not be grading at all, but will only be qualifying butchers to charge first grade price for second and third grade meat, and at the same time will cost the country tens of thousands of pounds annually. There is only one way that meat can he graded properly, and that is on the hoof, not by a trained grader, but by a man who has had a lifetime of experience with stock, both dead and alive, and certainly not by a man who has watched beasts being killed at the abattoirs for a few weeks. The Government mode of grading could easily be dene by the meat inspectors already at the abattoirs. That would save expense, but perhaps would not create cushy jobs for somebody at high wages. I have talked with some abattoir inspectors, and they tell me the meat will be graded on condition and sex, irrespective of age. I have seen wethers 10 to .12 years eld brought down from the high country, fattened, and put on the market. Under the Government’s grading system wethers which had been kept all those years for growing wool will be graded first grade, while a beautiful two or four-tcoth will be graded the same. The former old sheep in many cases would not be as good as an old ewe, which in most cases is only about six years old and would be graded second or third quality.

I would like to tell you what a beautiful job this same Government made with its army > contracts. The Government said, “We will give the boys the best ox beef and wether mutton.” It specified that the mutton had to be under 641 b. Naturally, the contracting butchers had to do the best they could for themselves, so they went to the high-country stations and bought light-wethers for about half what they would pay for wethers down country. These wethers were as old as a man, but they complied with the specifications of the contract. You could not blame the butchers —blame the Government, which did not know its job and would not allow a one-year-old maiden ewe or wether to be put in if it was over the specified weight, though it would be quality and the other dog meat. No living man can tell the age of a beast on the hooks any more than a customer can tell the age of a piece of meat in a butchers shop. Mr Sullivan says that where the stripes indicating the grade are not on the meat the butchers must put on a ticket showing the grade. Would Mr Sullivan kindly tell us how any living person can tell the grade of a piece of meat in a butcher’s shop that has no mark on it? —I am, etc.. Money Wasted. Invercargill, November 14. [Abridged.—Ed., O.D.T.]