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original Regulations and in particular to the First Schedule, "Prohibited
Meat", para. (c) which reads as follows:-
"Meat from which a lymphatic gland, except a gland necessarily removed
in preparing the meat, has been taken out".
By inserting the words "other than mutton and lamb" the effect is to
remove these commodities from the classification of "prohibited meat".
Before the war this country could afford to import only the best quality
meat completely free from disease and had plentiful supplies from which to
pick and choose. The world shortage of meat has changed all that and we
have now to take more or less what is offered.
Chilled beef is no longer imported as such and has given place to frozen
beef, when it can be obtained, which is not very frequently.
The bulk of frozen imported meat now takes the form of frozen mutton and
lamb, or what passes for lamb.
Before the war there wore two broad classes of mutton, a better quality
free from disease and a so-called 'Continental1 quality in which the carcases,
or a certain proportion, were infected with caseous lymphadenitis.
If, in view of the world shortage, this country were to maintain its
ration of meat, it was necessary that mutton infected with a certain degree
of caseous lymphadenitis be accepted and to enable caseous mutton to be
removed from the category of "prohibited meat" it was necessary to amend the
Regulations so that an enlarged gland or glands infected with caseous
lymphadenitis and removed from the carcase at the time of dressing, could be
passed for human consumption.
In this connection it must be stated, to be fair, that there is no
evidence that caseous lymphadenitis is transmissible to man and unless the
infection is extensive the health and general, nutrition of the animal suffers
but little from the disease.
Caseous lymphadenitis tends to produce abscess formation of the glands and
in the parts of the carcase drained by the glands and there is, therefore, the
somewhat unpleasant risk that the housewife in cutting into the Sunday joint
may discover an abscess. On the other hand it is understood that most, if
not all the 'Continental' class of imported meat is diverted to meat manufacturers
who will, in all probability, discover abscess formation during the
process of disjointing and cutting up the meat for making pies, canned meat
soups and similar commodities.
CANNED FOODS.
Owing to the shortage of fresh meat and at times of fresh fish the importation
of canned meat and meat products and of fish of various kinds has
been permitted and as a result a number of 'mushroom' firms have sprung up
abroad to satisfy the public demand for canned foodstuffs.
These firms are permitted to import canned foods on private account but
it would appear that many of them are not equipped with suitable apparatus
for canning meat and fish. Consequently the number of occasions on which
imported canned foodstuffs have had to be seized and either condemned or
re-exported, is tending to increase.
A very careful watch is being kept on this class of import and consignments
which are not up to standard are severely dealt with. It is
important that the housewife should be able to accept without question any
canned foodstuff as sound and free from conditions which might lead to food
poisoning, however mild® She has been educated as also has the retailer
to reject any can which shows signs such as 'blowing or 'wobbling' of the
can and anything which might lead her to depart from that standard is to
be thoroughly deprecated. Importers of long standing and of rood repute arc
perfectly aware of the strict requirements imposed on imports of canned goods
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