CARTON MEAT

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 3

CARTON MEAT

A NEW INDUSTRY GREAT POSSIBILITIES. BUT .MANY DIFFICULTIES. The possible development of a trade in quick-frozen carton meat occupied the attention of a recent meeting of the Empire Marketing Board. The idea ia that joints and small cuts of meat should be put up for sale in England in attractive cardboard packed®, the meat having been frozen by some suitable process in its country of origin, whether New Zealand or any other part of the Empire. The meeting seemed generally agreed that the possibilities were great, as were also the difficulties. The idea is no new one; for nearly two years the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has been investigating the question of carton meat, experimental consignments having been sent. Dr. Moran, of the Cambridge (’England) Low Temperature Research Station, gave it as his opinion that, speaking generally, it would seem that, apart from hygienic considerations and the appeal of the attractive carton or container, the interest now being displayed in the rapid freezing of meat is based upon two claims; the first, now well established, that the appearance of the meat is superior to that of the., same cut or sample of meat frozen in air; and, secondly, that the palatability of rapidly frozen meat is markedly superior to that of air-frozen meat of the same quality. All the experts seemed agreed that the ideal process for rapid-freezing has not yet been found. With all the various processes now used there were difficulties. There is a limit to the size of the joint which can be treated by rapidfreezing, and there is also the difficulty that some of the most advanced methods are still unalble to apply rapid-freezing to all sides of the product at the same time, with the result that it is partially rapid-frozen. As distinguished from the ordinary air-freezing or sharp-freezing methods, rapid-freezing involves the direct immersion or indirect contact of the meat with some cold liquid refrigerant. The object is to pass the product as quickly as possible through that range of temperatures in which the liquids naturally present in and around the cells tend to form crystals. The size of the crystals depends upon the time allowed for them to form, and the more quickly the product can be passed through this range of temperature, the less time there will be for crystals to grow by accretion and, consequently, the less will be the damage to the cellular structure of the product. IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURE. Amongst the scientific difficulties attached to the rapid-freezing processes were the lack of knowledge as regards the optimum thickness of the joint to be frozen and the limiting rate of cooling for different tissues, and the lack of knowledge as regards the optimum temperature for (storage. In order to maintain the proper temperature, the meat would have to leave the freezing works in New Zealand at a temperature of almost. minus ten degrees, and would have to reach a cold cabinet in the retailer’s shop in England, which would not have to be warmer than plus 15 degrees. A gradual rise ip temperature between these two pointe is apparently imperative, and consequently the temperature on the transporting ships would have to be about zero. This would allow for about a ten-degree rise in temperature during transport from the freezer’s cold room to the ship’s side, with a further ten-degree rise in transport from docks to the retail shops. But, at the present time, the shipping companies for the most part are not able to grant facilities for zero temperature rooms-. The question therefore arises as to whether they would shoulder the extra cost in providing such facilities. There would be additional cost, too, in the provision of mechanically refrigerated vans for the distribution of the carton meat when unloaded from the ships. Furthermore, retailers would be saddled with the cost of cold cabinets in their shops. The cold cabinet probably would not pay for itself by the sale of meat alone, and it would be necessary to work up a trade in rapidly frozen fish, fruit and vegetables in order to square accounts.

Existing facilities on the railways in Great Britain, it was pointed out, are inadequate to ensure that the rapidlyfrozen products could be delivered satisfactorily and kept at the proper constant temperatures. Hence the necessity for special vans. This extra cost and the general cost of distribution would only be met if the public could be persuaded to pay more per pound for carton meat, in view of the bone and the inferior portions having been removed, and to believe that rapidlyfrozen meat can be as good as fresh meat. Carton meat, to pay expenses, .would probably have to fetch more money per pound thaij prime Scotch meat in England, and it) might be difficult to persuade the public that the frozen meat was the better of the two. Large sections of the public are disinclined to believe that packaged meats can be either safe or palatable. QUESTION OF COST. The margin of profit in freezing work is extremely small, so the quantity of meat processed would have to be as large as possible. The cost of cartons would add to expenses. It would be essential that the selling organisation in England had a regular supply of the best cuts of lamb, beef, pork and veal. This would entail several rapid-freezing plants. The plant in the country of origin would probably be able to work for only a few months in each year, which might mean an expensive outlay of capital, and. during bhe working period stocks would have to bo accumulated to last for bhe whole year. To these and other difficulties lias to be added the one arising from the regulations which prevent the importation into England of stewing meat, or rather meat from an unidentifiable part of the carcass. Unless and until a profitable method of disposing of this meat in bhe country of origin is evolved, the embargo will render necessary an additional charge on prime cuts. Difficulties, however, are only there to be overcome, and the Empire Marketing Board has taken the view that the matter is one well worth pursuing. It is therefore circularising overseas Governments and interested parties, and scientific investigation and experimental shipments will be proceeded with. THE PUBLIC TASTE. One of the largest catering firms in the world, Messrs. J. Lyons and Co., are co-operating with the boald in the matter. 'They have considered the prospect of developing a trade in carton meat, especially beef, pork, mutton, lamb and veal, from New Zealand. Any freezing process adopted they consider, should be extremely elastic, and should be capable of rapidly freezing both small cuts of meat one or two inches in thickness and

large joints. "It is not yet known,” they say, “what size packet the public will demand, and this can only he found out by experiment. It is quite possible that the public would soon get tired of packaged chops and steaks and would demand whole chops. 'Experience even in the United States (where earton meat is the vogue) is still very limited; but it is said that even there, when the public begins to get used to carton frozen products, the demand tends to be for the habitual sizes and quantities. . The great qualitative effects which quick-freezing is capable of giving to the public warrant the greatest efforts being made to solve the many difficulties which still exist. We believe that quickfreezing will ultimately play a large part in the production and sale of foodstuffs, but a good deal remains to be done before the great amount of capital which would be involved could safely be embarked on the organisation of such a trade.”