Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 20
1 Q. Are there legal requirements as to all of these matters?
A. There are.
2
Q. If somebody should step out of line somewhere along the
3 operation, here or there, the likelihood is that they
might be prosecuted?
4 A. Oh, yes, most definitely.
5 Q. Can we pass on in the leaflet down the second column and
get to the box: "What's your poison?" Have you got that
6 one? It is on the fifth page, left hand column. Sorry,
my fault?
7 A. "What's your poison?", I have it.
8 Q. In a box?
A. In the box.
9
Q. Ignore the bit about food poisoning because we have dealt
10 with that and start with the sentence which begins: "In
an attempt to counteract"?
11 A. "In an attempt to counteract", yes.
12 Q. "... infection in their animals, farmers routinely inject
them with doses of antibiotics. These, in addition to
13 growth-promoting hormone drugs and pesticide residues in
their feed, build up in the animals' tissues and can
14 further damage the health of people on a meat-based
diet".
15
As far as you know, Mr. Preston, does the meat which you
16 sell contain significant and dangerous amounts of
anti-biotics, growth promoting hormone drugs or pesticide
17 residues?
A. It does not contain it, no. They are certificated as
18 being from the abattoir as being without.
19 Q. Is that a matter of choice or of obligation?
A. It is a matter of?
20
Q. Choice or requirement?
21 A. We require it.
22 Q. Is there a legal requirement?
A. There is a legal requirement as well.
23
Q. We pass on to another section of the pamphlet which has to
24 do with the way in which McDonald's is alleged to treat
its workers. "What's it like working for McDonald's?"
25 Mr. Preston, to some extent maybe you have answered that
already, so I shall not as you again. It says: "There
26 must be a serious problem; even though 80 per cent of
McDonald's workers are part-time, the annual staff
27 turnover is 60 per cent". Ignore the USA; I will ask
others about that. Is that a problem?
28 A. No, staff turnover at 60 per cent is not a problem.
It is rather designed into the system. Many of our
29 employees, especially the part-time students who are, for
example, here in London are here to spend three or four
30 months during their education; they have time to work on
Saturday or Sunday; they return back to their community or
