FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11952, 30 March 1894, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

NEW METHOD OF THAWING MEAT. Upon the subject of the frozen meat trade, the Department of Agriculture has just recoived a very important communication from Mr S. Lowe (Government Dairy Export at London). Writing on tho 26th of Januaiy, Mr Lowe says :— Everybody at all acquainted with tho frozon meat trade of New Zealand, is fully aware what au immense advantago it would bo if the meat could he brought to London in a chilled instead of a frozen state. Chilled moat would realise about a penny a pound more than frozen, aud attempts arc being made to secure tliis advantage by providing means for bringing it chilled. It is not in this direction, howover, that I wish the Colonist this week to turn his attention. It has long been hold by practical and also scientific men that if a better system of thawing frozen meat cculd be carried out, tho price realised for j it would bo greatly augmented. This discovery has at last beon made, not by a scientific but an engineer. Mr Washington, tho engineer of Messrs Wells and Co., of the Cold Stores, Port Said, is the fortunate discoverer. He and Mr Lichtenborg, of tlio same 'jun, havo been making a series oi experiments, to verify tho advantages of the discovery. A few days ago one of the bost butchers in Smithflold was invited to examine bcof treated by tho now method of thawing. He came proparod with a knife and a sceptical mind. Before cutting the meat he declared it would " weep" on being cut, that is, it would exude a very much greater quantity of tho juices of the boot than frosh meat would do. Ho was very much surprised that it did not bohavc as he had anticipated. It cut very freely, and no more juice ran out of tho beef than if ii had been fresh. Whon first cut it is blue, but in about fivo minutes attains a beautiful ruby colour, and remains exactly liko fresh beef. Tho process is still a secret, but a provisional patent has been applied for. I hnvo learnt, however, that tho operation of thawing is carried out by tho uso of electricity iv connection with a serios of fans to carry off the outside moisture The period of thawing extends ovor four or live days, but tho cost is infinitesimal when the operation is carriod on at largo freezing stores where there is generally an installation of electricity. It is the (minion of soveral oi the best authorities in the frozen meat trade to whom I have spoken that bcof will at least realise as much under this method of thawing as if it were chilled, and that the price of mutton will be enhanced to the extent of a halfpenny or a penny a pound.