Day 085 - 08 Feb 95 - Page 34


     
     1        clamshell grills.
     2
     3   Q.   Clamshells are in all restaurants now?
     4        A.  Clamshells are in all restaurants.
     5
     6   Q.   Since when has that been the case?
     7        A.  I would -- again I would not be held to this exactly,
     8        but late 1992/early 1993.
     9
    10   Q.   Right.  Why was that?  Why was the switch over to
    11        clamshells?
    12        A.  I think as we were looking for safer, more effective,
    13        more efficient ways to cook our hamburgers, this technology
    14        became available.  We tested it out.  It cooked a hamburger
    15        quicker than before, certain benefits there, and there was,
    16        I guess, an assessment done of that versus the one that we
    17        had before, and it was decided that we should invest in
    18        this new technology to improve the efficiency in the
    19        restaurant and improve the safety in the restaurant.
    20
    21   Q.   So you felt it was an improvement in terms of safety?
    22        A.  I was not involved in the decision to change over but,
    23        operationally, we find that it makes the crew member's job
    24        a little quicker, easier, and it seems to be -- I do not
    25        think there is much difference in safety.  There are
    26        probably some advantages, maybe some disadvantages.
    27
    28   Q.   What are the disadvantages then?
    29        A.  I cannot think of any offhand.  I was just alluding
    30        generally to the time that the decision must have been
    31        taken.
    32
    33   Q.   When you say:  "The cooking times in the United Kingdom
    34        have been fixed by the Quality Assurance department in
    35        conjunction with the Operations Development department",
    36        what factors were taken into consideration for cooking
    37        times?
    38        A.  The internal temperature of the finished product ---
    39
    40   Q.   Right.
    41        A.  -- was the major one.
    42
    43   Q.   How does that relate to the Operations Development
    44        department?
    45        A.  In that we work in hand-in-hand with them in performing
    46        some of the tests that would be undertaken, and we publish
    47        the Quality Reference Guide which changes annually as new
    48        products, new procedures, and things are introduced, so
    49        Quality Assurance may come up with a, they may change a
    50        product which changes the shelf life so they inform us 
    51        about it.  They may like us to do some testing in the 
    52        development of a new product or a new piece of equipment, 
    53        so we really work hand-in-hand on changes.
    54
    55   Q.   But do you make suggestions as to what you think the
    56        cooking times should be, your department?
    57        A.  No.  It is all fact-based, on doing something like
    58        barrel testing, for ever putting baskets of chicken down
    59        and seeing what the internal temperature is as we take it
    60        out, and abusing products and seeing whether they still

Prev Next Index