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45
THE DISPOSAL OF UNSOUND FOOD PRODUCTS.
It has been the policy of the Corporation in the past, annually, to advertise
the fact that the Corporation is prepared to enter into arrangements with a contractor
to remove and dispose of unsound food products condemned, surrendered
or seized, either at Smithfield market, the City markets, or at places within the
jurisdiction of the Port Sanitary Authority. Somewhat similar arrangements
have also been made at Islington, but there has existed at the Cattle Markets a
special plant known as the "Podival" apparatus, by means of which certain
products were converted into manure on the premises.
The competition for the use of these products is of a limited character and no
encouragement was made to firms to enlarge their plant in view of the fact that the
tender was placed for one year only, and the unreliability of such arrangement did
not encourage firms to establish up.to.date equipment.
The disposal of unsound food products to a contractor is a somewhat serious
responsibility, because however honourable a contractor may be, some confidence
has to be placed in employees, and where such products have to be carted for a considerable
distance, obvious sources of leakage are evident. Unsound food likewise
in view of modern methods is capable of being transformed by means of appropriate
processes into residual products of considerable value, and it is necessary that
modern equipment should exist if the fullest value for this material is to be obtained,
and the highest prices for the products can therefore be given by firms who are
equipped to use the products to the best advantage.
In view of these considerations three years ago I submitted to the Sanitary
Committee the desirability of considering two alternatives, first whether the Corporation
would establish its own plant for dealing with these condemned materials,
or whether it would let the tender for a sufficiently long period to justify the contracting
firm spending money on modern equipment.
The Committee decided against the first, but in favour of the second of these
alternatives. The first advertisement which was published during the war period
did not meet with satisfactory response. At a later date, proposals were received
from a body of men who were prepared to establish a new firm by the name of
" The Smithfield Animals Products Company." I believe the chief shareholders,
if not the whole, are firms engaged in the meat trade in the neighbourhood of
Smithfield. It is these firms who supply in the main the substances which are
ultimately destroyed.
Unsound foods in the past have been dealt with by the Corporation, and the
value received for the products, less per cent. in respect of cold stores' condemnation
and 20 per cent. in respect of carcases surrendered at the Aldgate
slaughterers, is returned to the owners. The deductions are the estimated costs
of the administration of the work.
It therefore came about that the owners of the products decided that they
would attempt to deal with the materials themselves, accepting responsibility for
the actual work of destruction and the sale of the residuals on an ordinary commercial
basis. A contract was therefore entered into with the parties mentioned,
which was subsequently transferred to the company formed, and a description of
their methods and the works erected would seem to be desirable.
The Company obtained land in Marshgate Lane, Stratford, and proceeded to
obtain expert advice. It was formed for the express purpose of dealing with
condemned foodstuffs obtained in the City, but not exclusively so. Apparently
no expense has been spared in equipping the works in such a manner that it can
deal efficiently with large quantities of material. A new factory of modern type has
been erected and equipped with the most up.to.date plant on the land at Marshgate
Lane. All the directors have a life.long experience in the melting trade. Their
fundamental aim is, of course, to use the product to the best advantage, and for the
purpose of avoiding nuisance, they have devised a system in which the minimum of
handling is the outstanding feature. The raw material is loaded into trucks which
are taken from the vans which convey the products from the various centres.
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