View report page

55
I am informed that "offal" is practically a bye product of little value, and
after importation into this country it is usually consumed by the poorer
classes. Of all classes of foreign meat, offal should be above suspicion, and I
deemed it necessary to make the examination in London as strict as possible to
attain that end, and, I think, with satisfactory results.
The importers were told that if, as a result of continued examination, the
offal was found sound and free from evidence of disease, &c., it might
ultimately be found possible to relax the stringency of the examination. The
condition improved so much that during the latter months of the year, the
quantities condemned became unimportant, and finally a circular, dated
4th November, 1909, was issued from the Local Government Board, which I
quote fully:—
"Local Government Board,
"Whitehall, S.W.,
"4th November, 1909.
"Dear Dr. Williams:—
"It may, perhaps, be useful to you to note the terms of the following
Order, which, I am informed, has been circulated to the meat inspectors
of the different packing houses in the United States:-
"'Certification of Edible Organs for Export.
"'The port medical officers at London, England, recently inspected on
arrival 280 cases of ox-livers and 300 cases of lamb-livers bearing the
authorised American marks of inspection. About 20 per cent. of the
lamb-livers and about 30 per cent. of the ox-livers were alleged to be
diseased, and were condemned because sections of the organs had been
removed. In view of these circumstances Bureau inspectors are directed
in future not to certify for export edible organs, such as livers, which
have been mutilated or from which portions have been removed.’
"If this Order is effective in practice, and the offal from the United
States is satisfactorily packed, in the way indicated in the Board's Foreign
Meat Circular, No. 4, the inspection of this material under the Foreign
Meat Regulations will apparently be facilitated.
"I am,
"Yours truly,
"G. H. BUCHANAN."