Foundation of the MRI at Langford
Foundation of the MRI at Langford
Friday, 10 April 2009
The following is an edited account of the foundation of the ARC Meat Research Institute at Langford extracted from the first Annual Report of the Meat Research Institute published in 1969.
The Meat Research Institute (MRI) developed mainly out of the Low Temperature Research Station (LTRS), which was established in 1922 at Cambridge by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to investigate problems arising out of the preservation and handling of foods and particularly their refrigerated transport. The founder of that Station was Sir William Bate Hardy who, as Chairman of the Royal Society’s Food (War) Committee during the First World War, became deeply concerned by the wastage in imported perishable foods. One result of the anxiety caused in many quarters by this wastage was the establishment of a Food Investigation Board in 1917 with Hardy as the first Director. After the War, the Board recommended the establishment of a suitable cold storage laboratory and, following negotiations with the University of Cambridge, part of the Downing site was made available for the building on a long lease. The Low Temperature Station for Research in Biochemistry and Biophysics (LTRS) was thus created, and from the outset one of its main Sections, led by Dr. T. Moran, was concerned with the preservation and storage of fresh meat. In 1928, the LTRS was more than doubled in size at the expense of the Empire Marketing Fund, and an additional Section led by Dr. E. H. Callow was then added for work on pig products (pork, bacon and hams). Notable discoveries during the early years were the basic principles of chilling and freezing, the application of gas storage to meat and bacon, and the influence of post-mortem development of lactic acid on many aspects of meat quality. During the Second World War, attention was devoted to the shipment of meat under makeshift refrigeration, to attempts at improving the keeping quality of bacon, and especially to the development of dehydrated meat and its production in large quantities. In the post-war years there was an intensive investigation of whale-meat then being widely used in UK, followed later by a collaborative study-with staff of the (then) Scientific Adviser’s Division of the Ministry of Food-of the possibility of freezing meat on a national scale. More recently, considerable attention was paid to the preservation of meat by irradiation. This work of the LTRS became well known and widely exploited, and is recorded in the Annual Reports of the Food Investigation Board issued by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research from 1919 to 1959.
The experiences of the Second World War emphasized the imperative need to decrease our dependence on imports of food and animal feeding stuffs and to mitigate the seasonal effects, which lead to autumn gluts. The rationing of meat during the war had also left a population with a new set of values for quality in meat. The meat scientists of the LTRS and the Scientific Adviser's Division of the Ministry of Food identified new research needs in several fields: for example in carcass evaluation, in the biochemistry of Muscle, in methods of meat preservation, and in the assessment of quality. It was not however until 1957 that the Technical Advisory Committee on Meat Research recommended the establishment of a meat research station. Dr J. R. Vickery, of the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization, Australia, was then invited to assess the need for such a centre and advise on its functions and organization.
Preliminary decisions
Shortly after Dr. Vickery’s Report was presented, the responsibility for food research (other than fish) was transferred in 1959 from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to the Agricultural Research Council; and in February 1962 the government accepted a proposal by the Council to establish a separate Meat Research Institute (MRI). At the same time (Hansard, February 1st, 1962, 1201) it was decided that half the cost of the new Institute must be met by contributions levied on the meat industry.
After assuming responsibility for the establishment of a Meat Research Institute, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) was faced with the problem of rehousing the scientific staff at Cambridge, since the lease of the Downing site was due to end in 1966. The LTRS had been established on what was in 1922 the spacious area of the New Museums. But as the years passed that site had become crowded, and the building itself out of date, unsuited to current needs, and beyond hope of effective conversion. With the lease expiring in 1966 it was decided not to negotiate with the University for an extension, but to look a field for a more suitable site. It was also considered desirable at the same time to divide the main research activities of the Station into Meat and Food other than meat, and to house them separately on a site, or sites, adjacent to a University (the sister institute to the MRI, called the Food Research Institute (FRI) (still surviving as the Institute of Food Research (IFR)), was established at Norwich, on a site adjacent to the University of East Anglia). Various more or less incompatible desiderata were suggested to influence the choice of site for the MRI: proximity to beef rearing in Scotland, or pig rearing in Northern Ireland, were opposed by a desire for reasonable proximity to London though outside the congested region of SE England; on one hand was urged a site on a farm, on another attachment to an abattoir; there was general agreement that attachment to a University with a Veterinary School would be useful (this greatly limited the range of possibilities). The site eventually chosen was on the Langford estate of the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Science in Somerset.
During this interim period, research on meat (together with other foods) continued at the LTRS, as is described in the Annual Reports of that Station issued from 1959 to 1963 on behalf of the ARC.
Collection of Staff
When the decision to establish a Meat Research Institute was taken, research on meat-as distinct from animal production-was being undertaken at the LTRS, at a group financed by the ARC and attached to the School of Agriculture at Cambridge, and by part of the Food Standards and Science Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. After a Director Designate of the Institute was appointed in 1963, and discussions about the future policy of the Institute could be initiated, it became possible to begin to draw these three elements together.
The remaining staff of the Cambridge School of Agriculture group were transferred to the control of the LTRS; they were accommodated in an Annex laboratory constructed at a commercial abattoir in Cherryhinton near Cambridge, this annex providing a chill room for storing carcasses, together with rooms for photography, dissection and chemical analysis; Mr S. J. Dant was Officer in Charge. This Annex, and related work, e.g.; in the Protein and Microbiology Sections, were consolidated to form a greatly enlarged Meat Division of the LTRS under the direction of the Director Designate MRI.
At the same time he assumed control of the relevant staff in Food Technology Section, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, though they continued to work at Great Westminster House, London, on the assessment of the quality of meat especially by the use of taste panels.
The Building
Planning for the new Institute began in April 1962 when a meeting was held in London between representatives of the Council, Bristol University, the architects, and the LTRS. A subsequent meeting in December 1962 accepted a time-table which envisaged Treasury approval of sketch plans and authority to proceed with detailed planning by the end of May 1963, with work on the site commencing towards the end of 1964 and a target date for completion of July 1966. In fact Treasury approval to the sketch plans was not received until the end of August 1963, enabling detailed planning to begin shortly after. This continued in 1964 but, due largely to economic and financial difficulties, it was not until the middle of 1965 that tenders could be called for. Recommendations were submitted to the Council in November 1965 and the successful tenders were finally accepted in February 1966. Construction started in April 1966 and was completed in February 1968. The architects were Messrs Oatley & BrentnalI of Bristol, and the main contractors Messrs. Holland & Hannen and Cubitts (Southern) Ltd.
Movement of Staff and Equipment
During the latter part of the planning stage it was hoped that the building would be ready for occupation in April 1967 but delays in the time-table, e.g. in initial agreement on costs and tender documents, soon showed that October 1967 would be the earliest possible date for completion. It was hoped that the staff would have been brought down by then, being accommodated in parts of the building as these were completed. In April 1967 there was in fact a handful of staff operating at Langford from a small hut about 150 yards from the site. This party consisted of Lt. Colonel S. P. Fearon, later appointed Secretary of the Institute, who had been posted to Langford at the end of 1965 to deal with the architects, the University, and the Local Authorities during the building period; Dr D. N. Rhodes, who returned from a secondment in Thailand in February 1967 and was posted to Langford on his return; and Mr G. E. Wilson, the Institute's Engineer, who was posted in March of the same year. The Director was transferred to Langford on 1st July. Dr C. L. Cutting, the new Head of the Bioengineering and Microbiology Department, who had been appointed on January 1st to succeed Dr R. Gane, arrived on 1st August.
The main movement of staff and equipment did not take place until October and November, moving one or two Sections each week from Cambridge or London. The movements were planned and supervised entirely by Mr A. Taylor, and Mr S. J. Dant, and the only hitches arose from delays in completing the building schedule, which made conditions on arrival extremely difficult. The; Technology Block was the first to be handed over by the architects, and this was arranged in a makeshift manner to accommodate staff as they arrived, as well as the equipment they brought with them. It was indeed not until the end of February 1968 that all the major parts of the building had become available for their occupants. At this time the services were still afflicted by teething troubles, and much equipment had still to be supplied. However, despite difficulties, it was possible to stage a successful Symposium on Carcass Evaluation in March 1968, with the lecture theatre, slaughterhouse, and dissection facilities all available and functioning.
The Official Opening
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN honoured the Institute with Her presence on 19th April 1968 on the occasion of its official opening. The ceremony was performed in the presence of the Chairman of the Agricultural Research Council, His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, and the Secretary and Members of the Council. The University of Bristol was represented by the Chancellor, His Grace the Duke of Beaufort, the Vice-Chancellor and Members of the Court and Council. Her Majesty unveiled a commemorative plaque and opened the building with a ceremonial key; as she entered the building Buglers of the 1st Battalion The Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry sounded a Fanfare, The Roast Beef of Old England. Her Majesty expressed great interest in the demonstrations which had been prepared in the building, and subsequently returned as a memento of the occasion the key with which the opening ceremony had been performed. To mark the Opening, His Grace The Duke of Northumberland, sent the following Message:
"Today we are privileged to assist at the opening of the Meat Research Institute by Her Majesty The Queen, and I am sure that the Institute will prove worthy of its royal inauguration. Its purpose is to advance our scientific knowledge of meat and thereby to provide a sound basis for the endeavours of all sections of the meat industry to enhance the quality and quantity of its products. Food science is of immense importance in relation to the rising world population, and to the economy of this country in particular, and 1 believe that the establishment of this Institute is a timely step towards raising still higher the standards of a food for which Britain is renowned.
"The Meat Research Institute, together with the Food Research Institute at Norwich, will carry with them the great traditions of their parent Institute, the Low Temperature Research Station, and will continue and extend its work. The new Institute will be closely associated with the University of Bristol and I am confident that co-operation with the school of Veterinary, Science and other University departments will lead to important advances in scientific knowledge and practice. I am sure, too, that we can continue to rely on the friendly interest of the industry, which is sharing with the Agricultural Research Council the capital and running costs of the Institute.
"The new Institute is furnished with all the modern devices required by experimental scientists today, with specialized rooms and buildings, housing for animals and facilities for handling carcasses; it is staffed by well qualified and experienced people. There is therefore every reason for our confidence that valuable new additions to our knowledge and understanding of meat in all its aspects will be forthcoming from this Institute, with corresponding benefits to the community and the national economy.
"I am happy that this significant addition to the major establishments of the Agricultural Research Council has been made during my tenure of office as Chairman of the Council and I wish the Institute and its staff every success in the tasks that lie before them."
Original Staff List of the MRI as at 1st April 1968
DIRECTOR Professor M. Ingram, MA, PhD
DEPUTY DIRECTOR K. Bryce Jones, BSc, PhD
CARCASS AND MEAT DEPARTMENT
Head of Department: K. Bryce Jones, BSc, PhD
ANATOMY SECTION:
Head of Section: R. W. Pomeroy, BA, PhD
D. R. Williams, BSc
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: D. J. Twinn, Field Officer
H. J. Swatland
C. G. Munro
Miss E. Harman
Miss V. Cook
Miss N. A. Charlton
G. R. Nute
Miss F. G. Smith
Miss A. Richards, Laundress
GENERAL MEAT SECTION:
Heat of Section: Vacant
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: J. M. Akers
I. W. L. French
Mrs. M. Gifford
Mrs. M. B. Bignell
Abattoir Laboratory
Senior Experimental Officer: G. C. Ingram
Slaughterhouse: D. J. Burbridge, Slaughterman
FOOD QUALITY SECTION:
Head of Section: D. N. Rhodes, BSc, PhD, MA
D. B. MacDougall, ARCST, MSc, PhD
R. L. S. Patterson, BSc, PhD
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: R. C. D. Jones
G. Fitton
Miss J. l. Short
Miss J. Hutchings
E. A. Bevis
Miss J. A. Marshall
Miss J. Ashley
Mrs. M. M. Ponting
Mrs. D. Scott
Analytical Sub-section:
Senior Experimental Officer: J. C. Casey
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: W. A. Deer
R. S. Champion
R. A. Edwards
Statistical Sub-section:
Senior Experimental Officer: J. M. Harries
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: J. M. Robinson
BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Head of Department: S. M. Partridge, MA, PhD, Se.D.
PROTEIN AND LlPIDS SECTION:
Head of Section: S. M. Partridge, MA, PhD, ScD
A. J. Bailey, MA, BSc, PhD
D. J. Etherington, BSc, PhD
Miss C. M. Peach, BSc, PhD (Nuffiel Grant)
Senior Experimental Officer: D. F. Elsden
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: D. J. Bowen
A. H. Whiting
T. J. Sims
H. F. Brown
Miss S. M. Presland
Mrs. M. E. Powell
BIOCHEMISTRY SECTION:
Head of Section: J. R. Bendall, BA, ScD
F. Penny, BSc, PhD
R. K. Scopes, BSc, PhD
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: Miss V. E. Brown
C. C. Ketteridge
J. E. Holmes
R. A. Clarke
Mrs. M. Gifford
PHYSIOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY SECTION:
Head of Section: J. R. Bendall, BA, ScD
D. Lister, BSc, PhD
Senior Experimental Officer: C. A. Voyle
BIOENGINEERING AND MICROBIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Head of Department: C. L. Cutting, BSc, PhD
BIOENGINEERING SECTION:
Head of Section: C. L. Cutting, BSc, PhD
A. A. Taylor, BSc
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: M. J. Morley
R. W. R. York
R. P. Cox
H. F. T. Jarvis
S. J. James
Mrs. D. Leaves
Engineering Sub-section:
Technical Works staff: G. E. Wilson
M. W. Donnelly
Assistant staff: G. J. Coles, Workshop Craftsman
A. D. Stafford, Electrician
M. H. Ford, Plumber
F. Vowles, Carpenter
D. J. Goodwin, Mechanic handyman
MICROBIOLOGY AND RADIATION SECTION:
Head of Section: A. G. Kitchell, BSc, PhD
T. A. Roberts, MA, BPharm, PhD
Senior Experimental Officer: H. J. Shepherd
J. Barlow, Director’s Laboratory
Experimental Officers and Assistant staff: J. lo Smart
R. A. E. Barrell
Miss J. E. Corry, Research Assistant
K. H. Robinson
N. R. Thompson
N. A. MacDonald
Mrs. B. A. Jones
Mrs. R. A. M. Brittan
ADMINISTRATION AND GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Head of Department: Lt Col. S. P. Fearon
Executive Accounts: D. J. Crapp
Mrs. M. R. Donnelly
Miss M. J. Mitchard
Library: Miss J. M. HiIl
Miss S. F. Moore
Registry: Miss J. K. Girling
Miss S. M. Topping
Typists: Miss E. S. Duckworth, Dir's Secretary
Mrs. J. Payne
Mrs. R. E. Lance
Mrs. D. N. Garrett
Miss R. Fear
Miss V. E. Payne
Telephonist/Receptionist: Mrs. G. Webb
Laboratory Steward: S. J. Dant
Photographic: B. Speight
Stores: R. J. Rowney
M. C. W. Badman
F. R. Cook
Drivers: C. Taylor
T. B. Sheppy
Cleaners: Mrs. S. F. Neath
Mrs. E. Parker
Mrs. M. Johnson
Mr. G. H. Ash
Mrs. D. M. Dyer
Mrs. Newton
G. R. Cuff
VISITING WORKERS
Dr. W. Fiszer, College of Agriculture, Poznan, Poland (attached to Microbiology and Radiation Section), working on preservation of meat by ionizing radiations from spent fuel rods sources.
Mr. I. H. C. Gallagher, Meat Industry Research Institute, New Zealand (attached to Microbiology and Radiation Section), working on physiology of bacteria growing at low temperature.
Dr. C. Gil Turnes, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Montevideo, Uruguay (attached to Microbiology and Radiation Section), working on diagnosis of clostridia by modern methods.
Dr. H. Tsuyuki, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University (attached to Food Quality Section), working on application of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to the al volatile materials derived from pig fat.