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In 1954, in the course of a routine examination of various offals a small parcel of livers on
inspection showed evidence of echinococcus.*
A further ten bags were examined in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food and other interested parties and echinococcus cysts were again found, to
the extent of 16% of the parcel.
It was hoped that the representations and reports made by the interests concerned would have
the desired affect of putting right a condition which at the time was considered to be an isolated
instance of careless inspection in the packing Establishments in the country of origin.
At this time there was very little background or experience of what might be discovered when
meat and offals from abroad were inspected and it was decided to make a wide survey of as many
meat commodities as possible.
Consequently the question of a detailed survey on any one particular commodity, e.g., beef
livers, had temporarily to come second in importance to the building up of a picture of the whole
field of imported meats.
It was fortunate that this procedure was adopted, for it led to the discovery early in 1955, of
another parasitic disease, namely cysticercus bovis in imported beef tongues. This with its consequences
to man called for measures to ensure that this parasite should not come into this
country in its viable form. This incident and the action taken was fully described in my Annual
Report for 1955.
It was not, therefore, until late in 1955 that attention was again focussed on beef livers, when
a parcel of 1,159 bags of livers found to be without an 'official certificate', was detained at the
Cold Store and a percentage examination made resulting in the finding of 12% diseased livers,
including, which was more serious, numbers of livers having been cut into the substance with a
'cross', an indication that they had been condemned at the time of slaughter. Some of the livers
had gross cysts and some showed evidence of tuberculous and other abscesses.
The matter was brought to the notice of the Importers, the Agricultural Adviser of the exporting
country, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and other interested bodies and after a
number of conferences and much correspondence, a one hundred percent examination of the livers
was made at the Dock Store, resulting in the release as sound of 510 bags of the livers, leaving a
balance of 649 bags which were released under guarantee formanufacture into dog food by methods
including adequate heat treatment.
The one hundred percent examination referred to above imposed a considerable strain on the
staff available for this work and in the light of experience gained it was decided that no more
one hundred percent examinations of large consignments could be undertaken, nor was it considered
to be the function of your Inspectorate to undertake work on this scale. Subsequent
parcels, therefore, were subjected to a ten percent examination only and where the percentage of
disease was found to be high, the whole consignment was either condemned for human consumption
and allowed to be used for manufacturing purposes under strict guarantee (e.g., dog food involving
adequate heat treatment) or released to a cold store where staff conditions permitted the whole
consignment to be inspected, by arrangement with and under the supervision of the local Medical
Officer of Health.
Despite repeated representations to the appropriate Department of the country concerned, consignments
continued to arrive in a very unsatisfactory condition as regards disease, and in April,
1956, in the light of the seriousness of the problem, it was decided that all consignments of beef
livers from that country via the Port of London should be detained at the Cold Store in the Royal
Albert Dock and the following action taken:—
If on a 10% examination not more than 5% of the livers examined were found diseased, the
whole consignment would be released.
If, however, more than 5% were found diseased a further 10% would be examined and if this
result confirmed the original findings, the consignment would be held pending my decision as to
its ultimate disposal.
To this end and as a warning of the action that it was proposed to take, a letter was sent in
the following terms to all Importers, as and when consignments arrived:—
*Echinococcus cysts — This is the cystic stage of the tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus, the
lungs and livers being most frequently affected in bovines, which are then said to be suffering
from hydatid disease. The final hosts of this parasite are the dog, cat, fox and other carnivorous
animals. The intermediate hosts include farm animals, domestic animals and man. It is because
man is an intermediate host that it is vital to break the life cycle of this parasite. The most
certain method of doing so is the complete destruction of all organs containing hydatid cysts.
It is interesting to note that in New Zealand hydatid disease in both man and animals is a major
public health problem at the present moment.
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