Day 295 - 06 Nov 96 - Page 19
1 MR. MORRIS: I am quite happy to keep going. If the
2 stenographer wants a break.
3
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
5
6 (Short Adjournment)
7
8 MR. MORRIS: I think this would be an appropriate time to look
9 at the admissions, formal admissions, made by McDonald's
10 regarding undercooking and in-store hygiene faults. For
11 example, in May 1994 they admitted that in April 1991
12 Kingston magistrates fined McDonald's £750, with £1,500
13 costs, for serving an undercooked McChicken sandwich to a
14 customer. At the same time, they admitted that on 7th May
15 1993 McDonald's were fined £1,000 at Southend magistrates'
16 court for having insanitary premises; this related to the
17 discovery of raw sewage in the food preparation area on
18 31st December 1992, and an emergency prohibition notice for
19 insanitary premises had been served.
20
21 I have dealt with the Preston food poisoning outbreak
22 admission from 1991. The next relevant admission was made
23 on 22nd March 1995. In or before November 1994, at
24 McDonald's in Shrewsbury, three year old Juliet Macintyre
25 was served undercooked chicken McNuggets which contained
26 salmonella. The McNuggets were tested by local health
27 officials and declared unfit for human consumption. As a
28 result of this incident McDonald's stated that procedures
29 for cooking chicken were being reviewed in part due to
30 staff confusion over the use of mechanical timing devices
31 for the cooking of such products.
32
33 Obviously, we feel that one is significant because it shows
34 there is a fault, a flaw, in the general equipment being
35 used in the stores and that staff can become confused. We
36 would say, obviously are likely to become confused,
37 especially if they are inexperienced and, as we know, they
38 have a very high turnover of very young workers.
39
40 Then the next admission on 6th August 1990. McDonald's
41 pleaded guilty to an offence under section 2 of the Food
42 Act 1984 for selling a raw chicken sandwich. "A customer
43 had purchased a McChicken sandwich from McDonald's in
44 Sutton. It was examined by an environmental health officer
45 who found that the bread crumb covering the outside of the
46 sandwich was pale in appearance and the meat of the
47 sandwich was found to be pink and translucent and in an
48 obviously raw condition. Part of the sandwich was released
49 to the store manager for the company's own analysis."
50
51 That may be particularly relevant because it has been said
52 that undercooking would be noticed by staff because of the
53 appearance of a product, and yet here was a product that
54 not only was it undercooked but it was clearly appearing to
55 be undercooked, and yet it was still sold. There was
56 another admission made on that day regarding -- I think it
57 is the last one on that day -- the Silver Springs incident
58 in America, which apparently was due to one of the staff,
59 or some of the staff having typhoid.
60
