Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 41
1 level of stress before it becomes noticeable?
2 A. It is a very difficult thing to say even with beef
3 cattle, if you like, because it is not an exacting
4 science. It is just that it is generally accepted that an
5 animal subjected to stress will yield a darker meat, so it
6 is not obvious in cows, not as obvious as it is in other
7 animals.
8
9 Q. So, if you had the same level of stress in a cow and beef
10 cattle, it would be less likely to show up in the cow?
11 A. Sure, unless you were measuring the pH of that carcass.
12
13 Q. Is that something that is routinely done?
14 A. Yes.
15
16 Q. It is?
17 A. Yes.
18
19 Q. How often is that done then?
20 A. Our customers on the continent are very fussy, if you
21 like, about the pH of their beef, and so we check it
22 whenever we are loading to certain customers abroad.
23
24 Q. So that is not something that applies to McKeys then?
25 A. No.
26
27 Q. You said yesterday you do not use slats in lairages. Are
28 they used anywhere else on the premises?
29 A. No, not in our premises.
30
31 Q. Has that always been the case?
32 A. For as long as I can remember, yes.
33
34 Q. Could you get down yellow volume IX, please? Then turn to
35 page 192. These are company guidelines, yes?
36 A. Company training, yes.
37
38 Q. Training documents?
39 A. Yes.
40
41 Q. On page 192 under "important" which is halfway down the
42 page ---
43 A. Yes.
44
45 Q. -- it says: "Whenever possible a second person should be
46 in attendance during loading and unloading to provide
47 assistance if needed, i.e. in case of animals escaping"?
48 A. Yes.
49
50 Q. Is this something that was developed to deal with that
51 problem?
52 A. Was the training document developed to deal with
53 animals escaping, is that what you are asking?
54
55 Q. No, that particular part, that was -----
56 A. I think -- again I am guessing here, but I would
57 imagine that that is a health and safety concern.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Sorry, which part are you suggesting might
60 have been developed to deal with a problem of escaping,
