Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 60


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is that, hay or something?
     2        A.  Yes, it is forage feed.
     3
     4   Q.   Forage which they pull from the manger?
     5        A.  Yes. The manger runs along the side of the pen.
     6
     7   MR. RAMPTON:  His Lordship was asking, I think, about stress in
     8        cows on the one hand and steers and heifers on the other.
     9        You explained that you can tell from the look of the meat
    10        in steers and heifers whether or not the animal has been
    11        stressed, but so for as cows are concerned, at any rate in
    12        cow meat that is exported, you test the pH levels, is that
    13        right?
    14        A.  Yes.
    15
    16   Q.   What does that tell you?
    17        A.  If the meat is dark, take a steer for instance, it will
    18        have a higher pH than on a normal animal.
    19
    20   Q.   But what about the pH testing in cow meat?
    21        A.  Well, because the colour difference is not as obvious
    22        in the cow meat, I assume this is the reason people want it
    23        tested, is that we check the pH instead.
    24
    25   Q.   If you get a high result on that test then you know the cow
    26        is likely to have been stressed?
    27        A.  Yes, also there is something else I should mention
    28        that the pH actually falls postmortem, so it could be that
    29        it actually has not reached its ultimate pH.
    30
    31   Q.   Do you have a view whether or not according to these
    32        different ways of assessing a degree of stress, do you have
    33        a view whether or not the cows in general are less prone to
    34        stress than steers or heifers or the other way around?
    35        A.  Yes.  I would say that cows are less prone to stress
    36        because they are easier to handle.
    37
    38   Q.   Why do you think it is they are easier to handle?
    39
    40   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Well, I can take judicial knowledge of that,
    41        can I not?
    42
    43   MR. RAMPTON:  I should hope so, but just in case.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They are used to it?
    46        A.  Yes, sir.
    47
    48   Q.   Or more used to it.
    49
    50   MR. RAMPTON:  Finally this, Mr. Chambers.  You said at one stage 
    51        today, you were talking about the detained room and how 
    52        long the meat might remain in the detained room and what 
    53        happened to it?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   Q.   According to what decision was made about a particular
    57        piece of meat.  You said I think (these are not your exact
    58        words) mostly in the jurisdiction of meat inspectors?
    59        A.  That is true.
    60

Prev Next Index