Day 294 - 05 Nov 96 - Page 25


     
     1        I think the implication of having, as we have heard,
     2        chicken bones and bits of plastic in the burgers is that
     3        the food does not get properly cooked if there are foreign
     4        objects in it.  I mean, obviously if there is a foreign
     5        object in it, a person is more likely to notice, but there
     6        is an undercooking issue of having foreign bodies in food.
     7        That is one of the reasons that the laws are, we believe,
     8        are quite strict on the foreign bodies in foods in these
     9        kind of products, because it is not just that you might
    10        choke or something, but it is also an undercooking
    11        problem.
    12
    13        And one further point I want to make generally is that some
    14        people are particularly vulnerable in our society, young
    15        people, pregnant people, old and immuno compromised people,
    16        who, apart from the general risk that the population
    17        obviously have with these kind of products, would have
    18        additional risks on top.  I think that is accepted whenever
    19        that came up in evidence.
    20
    21        On the subject of hormones, we have heard how the use of
    22        hormone growth promoters was pretty much normal in Europe
    23        until it was banded by the EC, and I think Mr. Bowes said
    24        his company had used growth promoters such as Clembuterol
    25        until, quote, about five years ago when they were banned.
    26        He admitted that until that time, quote, it was fairly
    27        standard practice in the industry.  That is regarding
    28        pigs.  And that would have been up to the time of the
    29        alleged libel.  I mean, by his evidence about 1990ish that
    30        decision would have been made.  Obviously in the USA,
    31        Clembuterol is a fairly standard practice for cattle
    32        still.  I am jumping about a little bit, but -----
    33
    34   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Do not worry.  Keep going.
    35
    36   MR. MORRIS:   I am trying to get the main heads established.
    37
    38        Going back to Dr. Pattison, he said that he recognised the
    39        principal hazards to human health are campylobacter and
    40        salmonella food poisoning organisms.  We have heard quite a
    41        bit about salmonella, but also on campylobacter obviously
    42        Dr. North gave expert testimony.
    43
    44        Dr. Pattison said that campylobacter was generally found on
    45        70 percent of raw poultry, and he recognised that for very
    46        young people and very old people, i.e. the people that are
    47        vulnerable, particularly vulnerable, quote, a very low
    48        number of organisms can cause food poisoning, unquote.
    49
    50        He said that the company did not test raw chicken for
    51        listeria, but accepted that 60 percent of raw chickens were
    52        contaminated with listeria mono-cytogenes, which can also
    53        cause illness.  He said that the bacteria would be killed
    54        when cooked if the meat itself reached 70 degrees Celsius
    55        for two minutes.  We believe we have demonstrated their
    56        chicken does not reach 70 degrees for two minutes.
    57
    58        Coming on to Timothy chambers.
    59
    60   MR JUSTICE BELL:  Shall we take a five minute break?

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