Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 26
1 Q. The next delivery. If they had not, what would happen
2 then?
3 A. It would be rejected.
4
5 Q. The delivery would be rejected?
6 A. Yes.
7
8 Q. What happens when the next load arrives?
9 A. Well, it would be checked again and if it was wrong
10 again, I would say that was the end of the supplier's
11 situation. If you are talking to a supplier and you warn
12 him of something which is wrong and he does it wrong again,
13 I think he has rather exhausted his chances so he would be
14 a delisted supplier.
15
16 Q. So, if a particular specification is not complied with --
17 let me just understand it right -- they would get a letter;
18 how would you know when you get another consignment from
19 that supplier whether they had complied with your
20 guideline?
21 A. Well, because each delivery that comes in, there is a
22 routine. There is a routine on every delivery of meat that
23 comes into the factory. It is part of the 44 quality
24 control checks which we carry out.
25
26 Q. So, you do not actually check at the supply plant if the
27 specification has been carried out or not?
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: He said that his inspectors know every line
30 of it and it is a working tool. From that I have assumed
31 there are inspections from time to time. By all means, if
32 you are not happy with them, ask how often and on what
33 basis, but there are actual McKey inspectors going to the
34 abattoirs.
35
36 MR. MORRIS: So how often do the McKey inspectors go to a
37 particular abattoir?
38 A. All abattoirs would have a minimum of two inspections a
39 year. If any abattoir was subject of discussion, debate,
40 worry, it would have more.
41
42 Q. You said as many as five times, I think, yesterday, but if
43 someone has been found not to carry out a particular
44 specification, yes -- it might be, for example, cattle must
45 not have been treated with synthetic anabolic steroids or
46 other growth promoting hormones during their lifetime, or
47 whatever, one of the specifications -- you find out about
48 it; you write them a letter and say: "Get your act
49 together, these are not just a bit of paper for the sake of
50 it", but when do you know if they have complied with that?
51 Would you send an Inspector there within 24 hours to check
52 or wait until the next visit six months later?
53 A. It depends entirely what the problem is. If it is a
54 matter of the total colony count, it is a matter of their
55 tightening up on their hygiene and cleaning procedures at
56 night in the abattoir; if it is a problem of a cut being
57 taken away for its commercial value and sold away from the
58 specification -- it depends entirely what the problem is
59 what the reaction is and how quick the reaction is.
60
