CONTROL OF EXPORTS OF MEAT

Southland Times, Issue 24273, 2 November 1940, Page 12

CONTROL OF EXPORTS OF MEAT

“Now that rationing of meat in Great Britain has begun, inspection of Australian beef and mutton exported to Great Britain might be made a little more elastic,” remarked an Australian meat exporter recently. “One would not expect conditions regarding the wholesomeness of meat to be relaxed, but some elasticity might be shown in bruised or badly-dressed carcasses,” he continued. “These are rejected at present because of such injury, although otherwise they are sound and in every way suitable for human consumption. “At present boats are leaving Sydney for overseas short of refrigerated cargoes, and it is only to be expected that the shipping authorities who control the movements of such ships will send them to other places where full cargoes of refrigerated meat can be loaded.” Letters which have been received from the Old Country indicate that thousands of lambs weighing as low as 91b have been imported into Great Britain from South America. Under the regulations at present ruling within the Commonwealth, local lambs of this weight would be regarded as either too immature or too emaciated for export. Yet it is stated that the South American lambs were admitted by the Home authorities to be perfectly sound and fit for human consumption.