Day 094 - 01 Mar 95 - Page 13


     
     1        than the US DA now?
     2        A.  No, not at this point.  There is still a lot of
     3        inspectors in the plants.
     4
     5   Q.   But less than there used to be?
     6        A.  Less than there used to be, yes.  I do not know the
     7        exact figures now, but I would assume that, yes.
     8
     9   Q.   In the USA the incidence of food poisoning caused by
    10        Salmonella and Campylobacter, there has been a great
    11        increase in the number of incidents?
    12        A.  No, that is not the case.  When we talk about the
    13        incidence of Salmonellosis, the numbers would indicate that
    14        there has been an increase, but what happens is that there
    15        has been increased detection levels now.  There is better
    16        technology, there is better reporting back to the Centres
    17        for Disease Control.  While the numbers may look higher,
    18        that does not mean that the incidence has increased.
    19
    20   Q.   Do your suppliers test for Campylobacter bacteria?
    21        A.  It is not required.  They might test for it.  They test
    22        for Campylobacter and other bacteria as random samples to
    23        see where they are at, but yes.
    24
    25   Q.   That is a bacteria that is even more common than
    26        Salmonella, is it not?
    27        A.  There are conflicting reports which one is more
    28        common.  There are wide variation within the United States
    29        in climate, in conditions.  It is difficult to make an
    30        assumption.
    31
    32   Q.   Do you know what the rates are for Campylobacter at the
    33        Tyson and Equity plants?
    34        A.  The rate?
    35
    36   Q.   Yes.
    37        A.  No, no.
    38
    39   Q.   McDonald's has not made enquiries about that with those
    40        suppliers?
    41        A.  No, we do not.  We use -- we could not test, nobody can
    42        test, any possible harmful bacteria.  What we do is we take
    43        what is called indicator organisms such as Salmonella that
    44        will give you an indication of the condition and quality of
    45        the micro flora present.  There is no need to test for
    46        every single harmful bacteria there is.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is there a figure for Campylobacter which is
    49        equivalent to the three to 22 per cent for Salmonella?
    50        A.  Yes, there is a Campylobacter Jejuni which is very 
    51        close to Salmonella in their incidence. 
    52 
    53   Q.   How do you spell the second word after Campylobacter?
    54        A.  J-E-J-U-N-I.
    55
    56   Q.   But what is the equivalent figure to the three to 22 per
    57        cent for that?
    58        A.  It would be probably about the same.  It will change
    59        depending on the environment.
    60

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