Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 17
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You can put it. The objection is to actually
2 reading from the document. So, for instance, you are
3 perfectly entitled to look at that and -- if this is what
4 you have in mind -- ask if Mr. Walker knows anything about
5 outbreaks of illness due to E.coli 0157 in Oregon and/or
6 Michigan in 1982.
7
8 MS. STEEL: In McDonald's stores?
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You can ask the question generally, if you
11 like, and then narrow it to McDonald's if you get a "yes"
12 answer. If you get a "no" answer, then I do not know where
13 we go. (To the witness): Take that as being the question,
14 Mr. Walker.
15
16 MS. STEEL: Were you aware of that?
17 A. No.
18
19 Q. You were not. If that did occur, do you feel that is
20 something that you ought to have been made aware of?
21 A. An outbreak in Oregon and Michigan in 1982?
22
23 Q. In terms of a dangerous organism, E.coli 0157, being found
24 in burgers, in terms of prevention?
25 A. What I think is relevant here is that this is
26 operations. I was not aware of these particular outbreaks
27 which are here in Oregon and Michigan. All I get involved
28 with McDonald's and constantly is the hygiene and meat
29 quality control.
30
31 Q. Right, but if there is no ----
32 A. I mean, he goes on in this paragraph about cooking.
33 That is not my responsibility and it is not, it is not --
34 it is operations. It is nothing to do with me.
35
36 Q. Right. I understand that, but if there is no E.coli 0157
37 in the meat, then it will not be so dangerous if things are
38 not cooked very well for whatever reason?
39 A. I think that I have said already that E.coli is very
40 prevalent but it is heat sensitive.
41
42 Q. No, I said E.coli 0157.
43 A. All right. E.coli 0157: H is prevalent but it is heat
44 sensitive.
45
46 Q. Right, but is it prevalent in patties?
47
48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I just come in there? The reason
49 Ms. Steel is raising it is this: If that was the end of
50 the story, then one might say you do not have to bother
51 about E.coli 0157: H at all. There is no point in making
52 tests of it because you are saying it is heat sensitive and
53 we do not have to bother. You, obviously, do have a
54 concern about E.coli 0157: H because if you can make sure
55 that none of the meat leaving your factory has it, then you
56 can be even more confident that a diner will not suffer
57 food poisoning as a result because it will not matter if
58 someone is sloppy in the way they cook the patty. Do you
59 understand that?
60 A. I understand that, my Lord.
