MEAT FLOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 12

MEAT FLOUR.

A NEW INDUSTRY. The president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce recently convened a meeting of farmers and others to hear Air W. Abbot, Auckland representative of the Australasian Trade Expansion Company (Ltd.), expound some of the processes connected with the making of meat flour—a new industry having to do with one of our -staple products now languishing for want of the animated demand known to all fatteners but a short time ago. A small plant has already been established by the meat flour syndicate in the King Country (says the Waikato Times), and the product is commented upon most favourably by people who have sampled and tested it for food value and palalability. Mr Abbot thanked the chairman for his kindly interest, and said that Hamilton was the first town in New Zealand to ask for particulars of the industry. Aleat, flour, he said, was a process where the lean of meat was treated, and by which the whole of the moisture, about 58 per cent., was evaporated, and in its dryness lay its preservative qualities. The inventor, Air AY. F. Remus, of Rangataua. near Ruapehu, really got his ieda from the Maoris years ago, who used to dry their meat in the sun and then break it up and carry it about and eat it. He set. to work to invent an evaporating process, and succeeded. That the food value st.il Remained in the product was proved by the healthy appearance of the Natives, and also, subsequently, b yan analysis by Professor Worley, of the Auckland University, who had had a quantity of meat flour under observation since 1919, and the outstanding feature of his three reports were the following conclusions: (1) The great feeding value of the meat flour; (2) its remarkable keeping qualities; (3) its superiority to extracts which, he points out, are of little or no value as foods, their purpose being mainly to stimulate the digestive juices. —Will Supply a Long-felt Wont.— The promoters had devoted over 12 months to very careful investigation and experimental work, more especially re the keeping qualities, commercial value, and uses of the article in the household for ordinary everyday cooking, and were firmly convinced that the flour will supply a long-felt want. A great many tests had been conducted by independent persons, both in this and other countries, during the past 18 months, and the concensus of opinion was that the meat flour was a discovery of worldwide importance. Aleat flour could be manufactured and marketed at a price that placed it within reach of the poorest family. It would be, in fact, quite easily the cheapest concentrated meat product procurable in this or any other country. Among the dishes that could be provided were soups of all kinds (more nourishing than ordinary soups), curries, sausage rolls, rissoles, meat pie. potato cake, dry hash, cottage pie, croquettes, jolly boys, shepherd's pic. Lancashire hot pot, mime, beef cutlets. Dresden patties, stuffed tomatoes, stuffed marrow, savoury luncheon biscuits, etc. Aleat pastes of many kinds for sandwiches, school luncheons, etc., are easily and quickly prepared with any desired flavour. Apart altogether from ihe domestic uses of the flour, especially in ihe small household, Ihe uses for this product in the commercial world would be many and varied. Large English, American, and Continental manufacturers would welcome the meat flour as an inexpensive, safe, and convenient form for the putting up of bottled, jarred, and tinned meat products. If will be used by large biscuit manufacturers for the manufacture of savoury biscuits; also by condi-

mentors for sauces, small goods manufacturers for concentrated soups, etc., by wholesale manufacturing chemists, for beef and iron wine tonics, tabloids, etc. The rapid civilisation of the great Eastern nations that were comparatively so close to us, meant the growth of a huge Eastern trade with the flour direct from New Zealand. A large proportion of the teeming millions of Japan, Uhina, India, Burma, and the Aialay Peninsula were becoming large consumers of meat, let the dense population prevented the keeping of large flocks and herds. —Claims for the Industry.— Ihe great value of the new industry to freezing companies may, said the speaker, be briefly summarised thus: —The conversion of a portion of meat now sent Home as frozen meat will reduce the volume on the London market, and thus give the price a. chance to harden ; the portion converted into meat flour will give an enhanced return to the farmer for his meat; the capital required to erect a meat flour works, to work m conjunction with a freezing works, is very little; when tinned meat is a glut on the market meat flour could be made, and the manufacture of meat flour from some of the stock now turned into tinned goods would materially aid in preventing such a glut occurring; an immense market for meat flour, at present unexploited by the fresh or frozen meat trade, is awaiting in tropical arid, and semi-tropical countries. ihe claims made and now proved for this mop flour lie gave briefly as follows: Very great concentration, only surplus moisture removed; remarkable keeping qualities under trying conditions: great convenience and saving of time and firing in general household cooking; wide range of utility for general food purposes; portability and digestibility; cheaper by at least one-half than other concentrated meat products • can be made from store or forward stock; can be sold m cartons or packages like tea; can be made from less valuable parts of beasts and yet show practically the same analysis : does not require storing in a refrigerating chamber at works, port of shipment, shipI board, or port of arrival; greatly reduced I freight owing to small space taken up (about one-twelfth that cf frozen meat) ; great value for the millions with defective teeth who cannot masticate fresh meat; inestimable importance in time of war; value in Eastern countries, arid rog ons, and polar regions; utility for shipping companies, aviators, motorists, miners, explorers, sportsmen, etc.; comparatively small amount of capital required to be sunk in buildings, plant, machinery, etc. ; exceptional value in up the strength of invalids, dyspeptics, delicate children, etc. ; does not require preservatives of any kind to improve its keeping qualities. Ihe fact, that meat flour can be shipped as ordinary cargo is a matter ol vast importance when one considers present frozen meat charges, etc. Various speakers endorsed much of what Air Abbot said, and after questions had been satisfactorily answered, passed enthusiastic votes of thanks and gratitude to the president. Air G. Parr, and Air Abbot for lime-lighting what promises to be a live and profitable industry. TAIERI SHOW. The schedules for the 61st annual show of the Taieri Agricultural Society have been received from the printer, and are now available to those interested. The schedule has been carefully revised and should meet with the approval of exhibitors. The committee has secured quite a large number of valuable special prizes for competition. In the horse section there are a number of £5 5s special cash prizes. The Waitaki Dairy Company has presented a trophy valued at £ls 15s for the best purebred cow in the show, while all the other dairy companies operating in the district have combined in the presentation of a trophy valued £l2 12s for competition in the dairy cow section. Improvements in other parts of the schedule have not been overlooked, not forgetting the schools fife and drum bands championship. Altogether, the schedule is a distinct improvement on previous efforts of the committee, end is well worth perusal by those interested. WOOL STOCKS. CONSUMPTION AND REDUCTION. An illuminating return issued by the Bawra, or British Australian Wool Realisation Association, shows that the consumption of merino wool during the past three years has kept pace with a rather slightly exceeded production, whereas the consumption of crossbred wool is substantially below production. The latest figures are those for July 31 last. L’ompared with those for July 31, 1918, they afford the following comparison: Bawra Brit. Gov. Stocks. Stocks. 1921. 1918. Australian wools ... 1,489,000 1,450.000 N.Z. wools 720,000 511,000 Totals 2.209.000 1,901.000 There has been a reduction in Ihe stocks of merino wool since July 31, 1918, of 249,000 bales Australian and 1000 bales New Zealand, or 250.000 bales; but stocks of crossbred have increased by 288.000 Australian and 210,000 New Zealand, a total increase of 498.000. The figures for 1921 do not include Australian and New Zealand wools of 1920-21 unsold and unshipped as at July 31, 1921.