The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-31
LOSSES OF MEATS.
Three Million Pounds Disappear in
New York Each Week.
From the New York Herald.

new York Ench week.
From the New York Herald.
More than 100000 pounds of meat.
exclusive of fowls and fish, is lost in
New York each week. Half a million
dollars worth disappears weekly from
the time it leaves the trusts hands I'M
til the roast or stew is placed on the
table of the consumer. This is $26, 00O.-
600 annually. With fish and fowls in
cluded this probably amounts to $4O,
900. 900.
From thirty to thirty-seven per cent.
of the weight of each piece of meat dis
appears in cooking. whether it be broil-
ed or boiled, even when every drop of
gravy is caught and used. In striking
contrast is the record Of the meat trust,
which loses not a pound. Hair, hide
and hoofs and bones, bowels and blood
are used after the flesh is sold All go
to add to its income. Absolutely moth
ing is lost.
Dietary studies made by the Depart
ment of Agriculture show that flesh of
all kinds, including meat and poultry,
fish and shell-fsh, forms twenty per
cent of the total food of the people of
Tic Clllleu 0LdlGS. WIN the eAC6DIOn
of dried beef and oysters, meat is rare
ly eaten raw, but for the most part is
either roasted, boiled, fried or stewed.
Whatever the method of cooking be
the loss is more than thirty per cent.
in each case. Calculations by experts,
made three years ago. show that ex-
elusive of fish and poultry, of which no
estimate can be made, II 100000 pounds
OF meat was consumed in Greater New
York each week. OF this 5000, 900
pounds was beef. 100000 pounds NUT
ton and lamb, and 1900, 900 pork, ham
and bacon.
AT the present high rate of meat
maintained by the Trust the monetary
loss is enormous. Two million pounds
Of beef, 666,000 pounds of mutton and
lamb and 100000 pounds of pork, ham
and bacon evaporate into the air from
the time the meat leaves the dealers
hands until it reaches the table of the
consumer.
Experiments to determine the change
and loss of weight and nutritious mat
ter in cooking were started by the
Department of Agriculture in 1898.
and are not yet completed.
This investigation is being conducted
by H. S. Grindley, associate professor
| of chemistry at the College of
| Science of the University of Illinois,
under the general supervision of the
Director of Experiment Stations. In a
preliminary report he shows that the
loss in weight of lean beef in the pro-
cess of pan boiling averages 29.9 per
| cent, but is thirty-five per cent in
some cases, "the amount lost depend
| ing upon the time and temperature of
| the cooking" In the experiments re-
sulting from the boiling and stewing
of meats "the loss in weight varied
| from one-seventh to about one-half of
the total weight of fresh meat, the
average of all the experiments being
nearly thirty-seven per cent" In fry
ing beef it was found that thirty and
| one-half per cent. was lost.
AS Professor Grindley saws. the chief
loss of weight is wafer, about nine
tenths of the loss being due to evan
pcration. The percentage of loss of
nutrition is small. But his ANALYSES
show that rs per cent. of the weight
OF raw lean beef is water and only 20
per cent. protein. The rest is fat and
waste. A full stomach is as much a
requisite Of eating as nutrition, and,
unfortunately, Croton water water will
not fill the place of that lost from
the meat
That the poor man is the greatest
loser by cooking is shown by the ex-
pcrlments. In this general conclusion
OF the experiments in boiling meat the
professor says:-'The fatter the meat
the less the shrinkage in cooking"
and the smaller the piece the great
er the percentage of loss" The pro-
portion of the fat lost was in a fixed
ratio to the fairness of the meat. At
me same time the fatter the meat the
smaller the loss of water. When he
boiled piece OF lean beef weiphtino
to IA pounds the loss in weight was
400 per cent. of the total loss in
weight Of the meat. while with a peice
weighing to 5l5 pounds was only 39.S
per cent o''o