INVESTIGATIONS IN HUMAN NUTRITION. 381 



Various writers have reported experiments with refrigerated beef, 

 and some of the data are of special interest to students of nutrition. 

 From their studies of frozen beef Richardson and Scherubel'^ con- 

 cluded that decomposition did not take place in meat thus stored for 

 six hundred and ten days, and that in flavor it did not differ from 

 that of fresh beef. A general conclusion reached is that cold storage 

 below —9° C. is an adequate and satisfactory^ method for the pres- 

 ervation of beef for at least five hundred and fifty-four daj^s. They 

 further concluded that freezing meats from —9° to — 12° C. arrests 

 bacterial decomposition, though naturally freezing can not restore 

 tainted meat to its original condition. 



Grindley and his associates ^ have studied the effects of cold stor- 

 age on composition and quality of raw and cooked beef and chicken; 

 they concluded that fresh and frozen drawn and undrawn fowls dif- 

 fered little in composition and nutritive value when considered on 

 the basis of a uniform fat and water content. As regards the juici- 

 ness and flavor of the cooked beef the evidences of the experimental 

 data, they concluded, are in favor of the cold-storage product. (See 

 also p. 369.) 



The question of drawn and undrawn poultry kept in cold storage 

 was also studied by Boos*^ in connection with the Massachusetts 

 State Board of Health. From his experimental studies Boos con- 

 cludes that — 



it is best to draw fowl in a different manner from that usually followed, before they 

 are placed in cold storage. After removal from cold storage the fowl should never be 

 contaminated by soaking in water, but should thaw in the air. Ordinary drawing is 

 worse by far than no drawing at all. 



According to Brown's*^ investigations — 



decomposition depends largely upon the presence of moisture in the tissues, for 

 moisture is absolutely essential to bacterial growth. In freshly killed birds, ordinarily 

 or properly drawn, the surfaces quickly become dry. In cold-storage birds, no matter 

 how tliey are drawn, the tissues will be moist, because of the melting of the crystals 

 of ice. If properly drawn, there would be but few bacteria present capable of causing 

 decomposition. 



Similar investigations were carried on by Bissell* under the aus- 

 pices of the Buffalo department of health, and the effects of cold 

 storage studied with drawn and undrawn turkeys. He concluded 

 that when stored for a year no change had taken place which made 

 the food detrimental to health, provided it was in proper condition 



a Jour. Araer. Chem. Soc, 30 (1908), No. 10, p. 1515; Jour. Indus, and Engin. 

 Chem., 1 (1909), No. 2, p. 95. 



t> Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 1 (1909), No. 7, p. 413; No. 8, p. 580. 



c Ann. Ilpt. Ikl. Health Mass., 1907, p. 2(53. 



d Ann. Kpt. Ikl. Ilealtli Ma.s.s., 1907, p. 285. 



« Buffalo [Dept. Health], 1909; Ann. Rpt. Dept. Health Buffalo, 1908. p. 34; Buffalo 

 [Dept. Health] Sanit. Bui., n. ser., 2 (1909), No. 3. 



