Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 48
1
2 Q. You mentioned that you used a high cycle system?
3 A. That is correct.
4
5 Q. What does that mean?
6 A. I am not an electrician, sir.
7
8 Q. No, nor am I.
9 A. But I am told, if I can try to explain how it has been
10 explained to me, that the current, instead of the normal 50
11 peaks as it travels, it actually peaks 1800 times in a
12 second.
13
14 Q. Can I ask you this: On best veterinarian and scientific
15 advice, are you satisfied that these figures in the range
16 of, say, from 1.34 amps down to 1.1, are adequate to
17 achieve an efficient stun of your pigs?
18 A. From my experience of when I have actually worked in
19 the stunning pen to seeing the present day facilities, I am
20 satisfied that we are using the best possible means at
21 present.
22
23 Q. If you thought there was a risk that your pigs were not
24 adequately stunned so that there was a risk of they might
25 still be sensible by the time they reached the stick, would
26 you do something about it?
27 A. Yes, but in this case there is nothing and there is no
28 need to consider that because ----
29
30 Q. -- I was going to ask you whether you have found, in the
31 course of any of this research, any reason to think that
32 your systems need revising?
33 A. No, we have not, and it is also, as I have just
34 repeated, been monitored by our vets again to verify that
35 situation.
36
37 Q. One thing finally, the RSPCA recommendation, and I can give
38 you the page reference if you go back to the feed document
39 on page 15, which is at the bottom of the page, it is part
40 of the Welfare of Slaughter Standards, Humane Slaughter
41 Standards?
42 A. Yes.
43
44 Q. Standard at the bottom of the page: "J.3.4: The Freedom
45 Food Standard. No animal is to be stunned unless it is
46 possible to be stunned immediately afterwards when the stun
47 stick time, that means the time between stun and stick, not
48 to exceed 15 seconds"; do you see that?
49 A. Yes, I do.
50
51 Q. When Dr. Gregory was at your establishment, he measured an
52 average, I think, of 18 seconds between stun and stick. Is
53 that something that gives you any concern?
54 A. No, not under our conditions of stunning.
55
56 Q. Finally -- actually that was my penultimate question, this
57 is my final question. Turn to the very last page in the
58 document, please?
59 A. "Freedom Food?"
60
