ADULTERATED MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27390, 16 May 1950, Page 3

ADULTERATED MEAT

Breach Of Food And Drugs Act SMALL PENALTY IMPOSED Ruling that meat to which a prohibited preservative had been added was on “ sale ” in that it was exposed for sale, Mr J. D. Willis S.M., yesterday convicted Richard Howard Botting, a master butcher, of South Dunedin, for a breach of the Food and Drugs Act, 1947. Botting (Mr J. P. Ward) was fined £2 with costs ..(10s) and solicitor's fee £4 4s. Legal submissions were made to the Magistrate last week and Mr Willis then reserved his decision. Botting was charged with selling meat to which sulphur dioxide had been added, and Mr Ward submitted that as the officer who obtained the meat had not paid for it, a sale did not take place. Mr Ward indicated that it was likely that a case would he stated for the opinion of the Supreme Court. He said that all butchers who were in business in a big way had to use preservatives for meat at the week-end. “ The butchers resent this' prosecution.” Mr Ward said. He had been told that they would have to go on using sulphur dioxide at week-ends because of the lack of chilling facilities. They did not wish to sell “ stale meat.” Meat had to be killed several days in advance to meet the week-end demand, Mr Ward continued, and when it was boned and rolled sulphur dioxide had to be added to keep it from sweating. There were no chilling facilities at the works and butchers had to accept meat when it was killed.