Day 105 - 16 Mar 95 - Page 33


     
     1
     2   MR. MORRIS:  So you said that is particularly the case for
     3        McKeys; is that because they are particularly strong on,
     4        you know, enforcing their checks and specifications?
     5        A.  In my experience, yes.
     6
     7   Q.   Have you had any experience, have you worked for any firms
     8        that supply McKey's?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Which firms are they?
    12        A.  I am not sure that I am -----
    13
    14   MR. RAMPTON:  No, my Lord, please.  We have had this problem
    15        before.  This is a backdoor way of trying to find out the
    16        identity of the abattoirs.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Let us just see where you want to go on it.
    19
    20   MR. MORRIS:  Mr. Bennett wants to rely on McKey's being a
    21        responsible -----
    22
    23   MR. RAMPTON:  He was asked about McKey's.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, and he said in his experience they are a
    26        responsible, whatever they are, retailer.
    27
    28   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Quite frankly, I have lots of evidence about
    29        McKey and I will judge that matter on whatever I make of
    30        that evidence.  I can form my own opinion one way or
    31        another on it.
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS (To the witness):  So, the meat temperatures
    34        specified by McKey's to Jarretts, why is it important for
    35        Jarretts to keep within the four degrees arrival
    36        temperature of meat to McKey's?
    37        A.  I have said -- put it in its lowest form, in its most
    38        basic form, that McKey's do in fact carry out their own
    39        strict intake checks.  Where the meat does not meet their
    40        specification, they, if it is serious enough, will send the
    41        meat back, as we have already seen on looking at their
    42        reports.  If there is some bone dust, small amounts of bone
    43        chips, they do not consider that a rejection criterion,
    44        obviously, but where the temperature is adrift of the
    45        specification, in my experience, they do return the meat.
    46        That is a prime reason, in basic terms, why it is important
    47        to comply with specifications.
    48
    49        There is the overall duty to ensure that you are providing
    50        safe meat and one of the ways of doing that is to chill it 
    51        and dispatch it within statutory limits, in this case 
    52        seven.  So, it is important from that respect also. 
    53
    54   Q.   The earliest swab programme we have is February 1994.  Do
    55        you know when they started the Bristol Laboratory swab
    56        programme, sorry, no, that was the E.coli -----
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Ask your question anyway.  Do you know when
    59        they started the swab programme?
    60        A.  I understand from what I am told, 10 years.  I know to

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