HOME KILLED VERSUS FROZEN MEAT.

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 March 1901, Page 2

HOME KILLED VERSUS FROZEN MEAT.

iSomk interesting experiments have recently been conducted by "The Hosp.tal" with a'view of ascertaining the relative economic and nutritive qualities of Home-killed and Frozen Mutton for hospital use, and tho i1..-ults have been most satisfactory from a Colonial point of view. The trials may bn briefly summarised a.s follows: — (1.) As regards the alleged wastefuiiness of the frozen article —two legs of mutton were carefully weighed, cooked, carved, and ■ afterwords tested for yield of gravy, bone, I and waste, with the. following result: Weight when delivered, 81b 6oz (English), 71b 14oz (New Zealand, Canterbury); weight when taken from oven, .51b Isoz (English), slb 13oz (New Zealand); weight of slices suitable foi- hospital diet, 31b 4cz (English), 31b (New Zealand) ; weight of bone and waste after carving, 21b Soz (English), 21b soz (New Zealand) ; weight of 'pure bone, lloz (English), lljoz 'New Zealand) ; weight of dripping, cold, 12oz, (English), 15oz (Now Zealand) ; t gravy in dish after carving, 8£ teaspoonfuls (English), '5i tablespoonfuls (New Zealand); gravy under dripping, 2£ tablespoonfuls (English), 4 tablespoonfuls (New Zealand); total quantity of gravy, 10g tablespoonfuls (English), 9£ tablespoonfuils (New Zealand. "Thus, contraiy to expectation, it was found that the English moait lost more in proportion during baking, viz., 21b 7oz against 21b loz;" and "it is clear even from one experiment that the assertion that foreign (i.e. frozen) meat is essentially and invariably more wasteful -than English cannot be supported." (2). As regards the- necessity for hospital meat being "easy of digestion 'and rich as possiMcTin food value," recourse was had to artificial digestion experiments, conducted under the direction of Dr Rideal D.Sc. Lond., F.1.C., three kinds of mutton being treated, viz., Scotch, New Zealand (Canterbury crossbred), and Australian (Merino). The trial was ..made in duplicate, tho results of which are ns: follows.— Water,, per cent., Scotch, 74.25; New Zealand, 71.32; Australian, .72.45., Nitrogen, contents of dry meat, Scotch, 12.38; New Zealand, 11.39; Australian, 11.55. „ Percentage of dry meat digested in one hour:—Experiment i: Scotch, 41.02; New Zealand, 37:2; Australian, 37.4. Experiment 2 : Scotch, 43.03 ; New Zealand, 37.3; Australian, 38.6. Mean, Scotch, 42.25; New Zealand,'37.2s; Australian, 38.0. "Tlie amount of digestion in these expriments,. is, therefore, very nearly the sanio for each kind of meat, and is proportional to the amount of matter capable of digestion present as measured by ihc quantity of nitrogen existing in 'each kind. The digestibility of the meat is all important from an , invalid* standpoint, ahd remembering that foreign (i.e., frozen) meat io very commonly indeed used for the patients' diet it is very, rerssuring to find that the freezing process does not, to any extent, render it less easy of assimilation or constitute a drawback to ita ttse for persons of .-feeble digestive powers."'