Danish Hams

Not so many years ago, practically all the ham and bacon eaten in Britain was either a domestic or a U. S. product. But the Danes resolved to enter the British market. They first made an exact study of British tastes. British pigs were imported into Denmark and bred, British methods of curing bacon and hams were carefully investigated. The distance to England being short, transportation was readily available for bringing the fresh meats to Britain.

The wholesale methods of the Chicago packers enabled U. S. packers to compete in England with Continental packers on the basis of price. But the Danes aimed at a quality product, and thus more and more absorbed the best trade. Even as recently as 1923, U. S. bacon led, in quantity, all other bacons imported into England. Now the Danish brands are first, and the Dutch and the Swedes are beginning to climb up to the U. S.

Now the Health Ministry has all but adopted new health regulations prohibiting the preservation of hams and bacon by the use of borax. This regulation follows a similar one already in force in the U. S. But it will cost the U. S. packers shipping to Britain almost $4,000,000 a year, since henceforward U. S. meats must be shipped in cold storage the year round, instead of only in summer.