BACON-CURING WRANGLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20110, 31 March 1928, Page 6

BACON-CURING WRANGLE

PROSECUTIONS PENDING THE DEPARTMENT’S POLICY [ Special “Chronicle” Service. ] Wellington, March 30. The bacon, curing controversy, which has been raging between the Health Department an<l various prominent bacon-suppbers is to be ended in somewhat dramatic fashion. Prosecutions of various firms for their failure to abide by the regulations of the Department arc to be ma'lc anrl lor this t-ho necessary steps are now being taken. The cases mil reach the Courts within tvu ■/. eek -. bi nee 1913 there has been on the •Statute Book legislation making it iih-gal to cure bacon by use of such prc>ervative as boracic, but it was only in .S< ptember last, following tho exao.p.e of i.jc British Health Department that the New Zealand health actnoriticH made operative the necesa.y r- guiations. There followed a • s oi. protests from the bacon-cur-ers who stated that the regulations . oui'J damage the industry and to meet the ca.-e the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young) temporarily fusp .-nded the operation of the regulations • . iring the ( hristmas season, the rush period lor ham purchases. Now, how- • .'T, alter fully investigating the poddon, the Minister is not prepared io •. .th :r iw the regulations or to make any discriminations in their applicaton. i bus he follows the English prccc- . nt and offenders are to be prosecutThe effect of the Minister's decision to make brine curing the method • r.A'h the companies must a*-opt. The - is twofold; to continue tho ... y on which the Department, in r.-.n.’>n with most Health Bureaux . of preservatives in food, and io r. . r.y nuisance. There arc very r-g”..';*. .ns against the use of a*. - .n the .'sales of Food and .g* A ‘ *...< rea.soa being that if an . ...... ....... s a little proserva- .-. a .. ... .• foods h? consumes i a: -tr.er. It is recognis- . -. . - aa, between Eng- . a.- . Z a.ar.-i i- different. In .... * t„ :-t .- i.ttle mild-cured ar. ■ the bulk of th/ . 1 American and 7- . Z --..an.1. mainly owing ■ • » late Mr Dy* j ■ f one time largo f L ._ k ani Co.* the mild- •. g • . . - wa- introduced and bota . il. Though some . - not er ploy it there '-T. Y, Eave never used any*h.r.g I i: ; oracic preservative, rhe D-rartmcnt has had to conthe question of the eating habits f the people for more than a generan and the fact that any switch to - Jt-eured bacon may injure the in- . ustry. It has been decided that, all things considered the companies must fall into line with the requirements of public health. The u e of preservajlives has been found to encourage slack [methods in every industry. At the J-ame time, the Health Department inspectors are to be instructed to embark upon a campaign of store-inspection this winter in order to see that the newly-cured bacon gets a proper chance. Slack methods of keeping and selling bacon at small shops are to bo cheeked with the object of era«'3icating the bacon fly.