TREATMENT OF BEEF.

Wairarapa Age, 21 September 1923, Page 3

TREATMENT OF BEEF.

All Argentine works hold their beef intended for freezing in the chilling room for at least 48 hours before quartering. The temperature at the time it is cut is about 43 degrees, with the result that nt the rifis where it is cut, the meat and fat being firm, does not recede away from the bone, and the quarter does not lose its shape in handling. In the Dominion, as most works, the meat is only held for about 24 hours in the chilling room before quartering, and at some works even less, with the result that the beef is not set when it is quartered, which has a very bad effect on the appearance. This is a very important matter, and is one of the first steps we should take to improve tho dressing of our beef. Quite a quantity of frozen beef is now being shipped to Antwerp, Hamburg and Italy, also several shipments of live cattle are being consigned to the Continent. The beef shipped to the Continent is not so prime as that shipped to the United Kingdom, and its quality is known by the name of “Continental Beef.” Special attention is given in the Argentine to the coverings on meat. All beef shipped has two covers—a stockinette cover inside, and hessian outside. Stockinette covers are mostly used on mutton and lamb, the bags being made large enough to cover every part of the carcase. STACKING HIDES. The treatment of hides in the Argentine is different to the methods adopted at most of the works in New Zealand. After the hides are removed from the carcases they are well washed and superfluous fat removed, then they arc put into a brine tank. After they have been in this pickle for about 24 hours they are taken out and put into a large heap, with plenty of salt applied to each hide. Salt is also heaped on the sides and top of the stack so as to exclude all air. They are kept in this stack for at least 21 days before being shipped. The amount of “cut hides” is very small, being less than .1 per cent. ARGENTINE’S ADVANTAGES. Compared with New Zealand the Argentine has many advantages in the frozen meat trade, the following being some of the main ones:— 1. Shorter distance from markets. 2. Fewer works, continual killing, bigger turnover. 3. Ability to utilise all by-products. 4. Cheaper labour. 5. Cheaper cost of supplies. 6. Proximity of all Argentine works to loading ports. 7. Exchange. Being only about three weeks steaming from their markets is an immense advantage to the Argentine, enabling them to place their meat on the market quickly (either chilled or frozen) and at a low’ freight cost. A country so situated is also able to take full advantage of a rising market. Most of the larger works in the Argentine are situated on the Plate River, and kill all the year round. The largest can handle in one day 2500 cattle, 5000 sheep or lambs, besides pigs, turkeys, etc. ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A works continually,, handling a large amount of meat per day is able to gain all the economies of large scale production, including the utilisation of all by-products. Freezing works in Argentine, Uruguay and Chili amount to about 20, with an average yearly turnover of over 14,000,000 freight carcases, whilst in the Dominion we have about 43 works, shipping about 7,000,000 freight carcases annually. Erecting freezing works in districts where the production warrants it is a sound policy, but when carried to excess becomes a great economic loss, which the producer has to meet. Freezing works are very costly to build and very expensive to run. We have too many in the Dominion, very few being run to their full capacity. Consequently producers have to pay high freezing charges, which means a depreciation in the value of their sheep and cattle. BY-PRODUCTS USED. All by-products are utilised in the Argentine works. Hearts, livers, kidneys, brains, skirts, tripes, etc., are frozen and shipped to the United Kingdom or the Continent. Great care is taken in the way of making them as attractive as possible, also in the packing. All sinews, bladders, wizards, etc., are dried and shipped to the United States. Everything is utilised, even the bristles from the backs of tho pigs, and the special hairs from the inside of the cars of cattle, which is used in the manufacture of fine

brushes. The small turnover at most of our works would not permit of the utilisation of all these by-products. The mass production at the Argentine works enables them to make large profits from their by-products. At most of the Argentine works I was particularly struck with the number of youths and women employed, principally in the preparation of the different by-products. There appears t® be an abundance of cheap, unskilled labour, in the Argentine and Uruguay. In Uruguay quite a number of the youths employed were barefooted. DIVISION OF LABOUR. The chain system Is used, not only in the killing and dressing of meat, but is also in vogue in other departments. This system is very applicable to unskilled labour, each man, woman or youth, having one special job to do, naturally in time becomes a specialist at it. ►Should any defects be noticed by the supervisor he is able to tell at once which worker is responsible. A number of works in the Argentine now use oil in their furances; some of this oil is produced locally. All tho works being situated on the coast or banks of rivers, the cost of handlingoil, coal or other stores is very small. Also being ’able to load meat direct from the works into the ocean steamers is an immense saving in cost, the liners laying right alongside most of the works.