﻿VITAMIN B IX EDIBLE TISSUES OF OX, SHEEP, AND HOG. 21 



II. VITAMIN B IN THE EDIBLE VISCERA OF THE OX, SHEEP, 



AND HOG. 





IMPORTANCE OF EDIBLE VISCERA AS FOOD. 



In the commercial slaughter of cattle, sheep, and hogs in this 

 country, practically every edible part of the animal for which there 

 is a market is saved for food purposes. The dressed carcass, of 

 course, represents the largest proportion of the total food value of 

 the animal; but the edible by-products, in packing-house parlance 

 called " edible offal," are an important source of food. The edible 

 viscera, or internal organs, make up the bulk of the edible by-products. 

 In addition to their other nutritive properties, it has been observed 

 that several of the internal organs are rich in vitamins. 



In Tables 9 to 12, inclusive, which follow, are shown the yields of 

 blood and edible viscera obtained in the commercial slaughter of 

 several grades of cattle, sheep, and hogs. 1 Potentially, all the prod- 

 ucts named are available as food, but in practice some of them are 

 saved only in limited quantities on account of the restricted demand 

 for the same, or because it is not profitable to save them. Also there 

 must be deducted from the total yields of the products named those 

 products which have been condemned as unfit for food in accordance 

 with the meat-inspection law. However, even after such corrections 

 have been made, the quantity of edible viscera and blood saved for 

 food purposes represents a very material percentage of the^dressed 

 weight of the ox, the sheep, and the hog. 



Table 9. — Average yield of edible viscera and blood from cattle. 





Canner cows, 128 

 head. 



Medium steers, 71 

 head. 



Prime steers, 65 

 head. 



Item. 



Average 

 weight. 



Per cent 



of dressed 



weight. 



Average 

 weight. 



Per cent 



of dressed 



weight. 



Average 

 weight. 



Per cent 



of dressed 



weight. 



Average live weight 



Pounds. 

 805.0 

 382.0 



Per cent. 



Pounds. 



1, 134. 



640.0 



Per cent. 



Pounds. 



1, 375. 



801.0 



Per cent. 



Average dressed weight (chilled) 

















Blood 



30.0 

 9.0 

 2.8 

 6.0 

 2.0 

 2.0 



15.5 



.8 



3.4 



7.85 



2.35 

 .73 



1.57 

 .52 

 .52 



4.06 

 .21 

 .89 



55.0 

 10.0 

 3.8 

 6.7 

 2 2 

 2.3 

 19.0 

 1.0 

 4.5 

 1.2 

 .3 



8.59 



1.56 

 .59 



1.05 

 .34 

 .36 



2.97 

 .16 

 .70 

 .19 

 .05 



80.0 

 14.3 

 4.4 

 7.0 

 2.2 

 2.5 

 19.0 

 1.0 

 5.8 

 1.3 

 .3 



9.99 





1.79 



Heart 



.55 



Lungs 



.S7 



Spleen 



.27 





.31 



Stomach (edible part) 



2.37 





.12 



Tongue (trimmed) 



.72 



Pancreas 



.16 



Thymus 







.04 











Total viscera and blood 



71.5 



18.70 



106.0 



16.56 



137.8 



17.19 







1 The data from which these tables have been prepared were kindly furnished by one of the large meat- 

 packing establishments located in Chicago. 



