Day 097 - 06 Mar 95 - Page 68


     
     1        batches or samples are identified as being of reject
     2        quality in this regard?
     3        A.  Well, not very many.
     4
     5   Q.   No.  If it is found what happens to the meat from which the
     6        sample was taken?
     7        A.  Well, different customers have different
     8        specifications, so should we find (and I would say it is
     9        very rare) that a count exceeds that which is acceptable to
    10        a customer, it might be possible to use that meat for
    11        another purpose, to another customer who is doing something
    12        different with it.
    13
    14   Q.   You told us a moment ago that you have never in fact
    15        managed to isolate any E.coli ever in any sample you have
    16        taken?
    17        A.  0157.
    18
    19   Q.   I know there are I do not know how many different coli
    20        forms, but I am only concerned with 0157.
    21        A.  Yes.
    22
    23   Q.   What would you do with meat in which you did find, if you
    24        did, 0157?
    25        A.  I think what would we do is obviously isolate that
    26        batch and carry out further testing.  We certainly would
    27        not supply it to McKeys.
    28
    29   Q.   Does McKey often reject meat supplied by you?
    30        A.  Not often, no.
    31
    32   Q.   Not often.  How often do you think?
    33        A.  I cannot remember the last time that they actually
    34        rejected meat for any reason, to be honest.
    35
    36   Q.   They do their own microbiological testing anyway, do they
    37        not?
    38        A.  Of course, yes.
    39
    40   Q.   How important do you think the question of temperature is
    41        in the maintenance of the safety of meat for human
    42        consumption?
    43        A.  Of paramount importance.
    44
    45   Q.   Paramount?
    46        A.  Yes.
    47
    48   Q.   What temperature is the meat when it leaves your premises?
    49        A.  For McKey?
    50 
    51   Q.   Yes, for McKey. 
    52        A.  It would be under 4 degrees centigrade. 
    53
    54   Q.   Under 4?
    55        A.  Yes.
    56
    57   Q.   What is its mode of transport from Midland Meat to McKey?
    58        A.  Refrigerated vehicle.
    59
    60   Q.   Do you send it both to Scunthorpe and to Milton Keynes?

Prev Next Index