USE OF FROZEN BEEF

Southland Times, Issue 24239, 24 September 1940, Page 4

USE OF FROZEN BEEF

Little Demand From Butchers

SLOW WITHDRAWAL OF LOCAL SUPPLIES

The opinion that Invercargill butchers could provide consumers with cheaper beef if they took greater advantage of frozen supplies available at local works was expressed to a reporter of The Southland Times yesterday. The comment drew a reply from the president of the Master Butchers’ Association (Mr A. J. Bartlett) that, because of a lack of facilities for handling frozen meat satisfactorily and the public preference for fresh beef, butchers were not keen to sell frozen meat. It was also stated that the price as which the meat could be purchased at the freezing works would permit no saving to the public.

Few cuts of fresh beef could be bought in the butchers’ shops in Invercargill at less than 1/- per lb, said an Invercargill resident yesterday. He said frozen beef had been sold in the north and it had enabled poorer families to make savings in their meat bill. The local butchers did not seem keen tq handle frozen meat, although large numbers of cattle had been killed at the freezing works during the autumn, when prices were lower. This meat was being held for butchers and could be bought at prices considerably lower than those of fresh meat. At a time when prices were exceptionally high the sale of frozen meat would probably be welcomed by the consumers.

Not more than three or four carcasses of frozen beef a week and a small quantity of frozen mutton were being taken by the trade from the freezing works, stated the manager of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, Mr A. Derbie, when an inquiry was made of the extent to which frozen beef was being used on the local market. It was stated that considerable quantities of beef were being held in the works and were available for butchers. NO DEFROSTING FACILITIES

Invercargill butchers had had little or no previous experience in defrosting frozen beef and they had no facilities for carrying it out, Mr Bartlett said. The market was fairly well supplied with fresh meat at the present time, and although prices were high the public preferred to buy it. One difficulty in the use of frozen beef was that butchers could not get kidneys, tongues, tripe, or other by-products, and as there was a constant demand for these from the public it was desirable that a steady supply should be maintained through fresh killings. So far this season supplies of fresh beef had been sufficient for the market, and the disparity between fresh beef and frozen beef prices had been so slight that there had been no inducement for butchers to handle the frozen article. Mr Bartlett said he doubted whether the frozen meat could be sold at Id per lb cheaper than fresh beef, and even if that slight concession could be made he believed the public would prefer the fresh meat. Mr Bartlett pointed out that the use of frozen meat in the military camps in New Zealand was prohibited by the Government. He contended that it

would be more convenient to handle the frozen article in bulk at the camps than in the retail trade. If the frozen beef was not good enough for the camps it could scarcely be, argued that it was good enough for the public. The competition on the local market from contractors supplying meat to the military camps had tended to raise the prices. The steady withdrawal from local consumption of about 150 of the best wethers a week had resulted in a local shortage, and sharp rises had occurred.