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"2. It is not prudent to regard it free from suspicion of unwholesomeness,
"solely on the strength of the declaration of the importers, or of any
"guarantee of inspection which may be furnished by the Government
"concerned.
"3. In view of the methods of American meat inspection, it is quite
"possible it may have been derived from tuberculous animals.
"4. It is desirable that sausage makers should obtain meat which is readily
"identifiable with particular parts of a carcase, and have some knows
"ledge of the meat they use.
"5. That boxes of frozen meat have been found to show signs of
"decomposition at an early stage after they have been thawed. It is
"not desirable that imported sausage meat with unknown and some"times
large quantities of chemical preservatives should be sold.
"4. Suggested application of Regulations to Imported Boneless
Scrap Meat.
"The unchecked admission of boneless scrap meat into the United Kingdom
"appears to constitute a definite risk to health. It also hinders equitable
"administration of public health laws and regulations relating to unsound or
"diseased meat in this country.
"I have repeatedly found this question of boneless scrap meat referred to by
"Home traders when speaking of the hardship of having their meat seized by local
"authorities on account of disease or other conditions which rendered it
"unwholesome."
"At the present time the volume of trade in this commodity is small, and to
"prohibit its importation would cause little interference with trade."
PART II.—TUBERCULOSIS AND IMPORTED PORK.
Dr. Buchanan refers to the Recommendation of the Royal Commission of
1898, "the presence of tuberculous deposit in any degree should involve
seizure of the whole carcase and of the organs," and the fact that the Board
has advised the adoption of this standard by Medical Officers of Health and
Meat Inspectors, and further that the second Report of the present Royal
Commission emphasises the need for continuing precautions against the risk
entailed to human health by food containing tubercle bacilli of the "bovine"
type.
Reference is made to the systems of inspection in various countries, which
are summarised as follows:—
"Classification of Imported Pork in regard to Tuberculosis.
"In 1906 I found that imported pork could be classified as follows:—
"Class A.—Practically free from tuberculosis. Required to have been submitted
to examination by a qualified inspector whose instructions are to reject for tuber"culosis
in any degree.
"Dutch.—The whole of the Dutch pig carcases which bore labels attesting
"Government inspection for export.
"Danish.—Practically all pork imported from Denmark