Day 295 - 06 Nov 96 - Page 19


     
     1   MR. MORRIS:   I am quite happy to keep going.  If the
     2        stenographer wants a break.
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Yes.
     5
     6                         (Short Adjournment)
     7
     8   MR. MORRIS:   I think this would be an appropriate time to look
     9        at the admissions, formal admissions, made by McDonald's
    10        regarding undercooking and in-store hygiene faults.  For
    11        example, in May 1994 they admitted that in April 1991
    12        Kingston magistrates fined McDonald's £750, with £1,500
    13        costs, for serving an undercooked McChicken sandwich to a
    14        customer.  At the same time, they admitted that on 7th May
    15        1993 McDonald's were fined £1,000 at Southend magistrates'
    16        court for having insanitary premises; this related to the
    17        discovery of raw sewage in the food preparation area on
    18        31st December 1992, and an emergency prohibition notice for
    19        insanitary premises had been served.
    20
    21        I have dealt with the Preston food poisoning outbreak
    22        admission from 1991.  The next relevant admission was made
    23        on 22nd March 1995.  In or before November 1994, at
    24        McDonald's in Shrewsbury, three year old Juliet Macintyre
    25        was served undercooked chicken McNuggets which contained
    26        salmonella.  The McNuggets were tested by local health
    27        officials and declared unfit for human consumption.  As a
    28        result of this incident McDonald's stated that procedures
    29        for cooking chicken were being reviewed in part due to
    30        staff confusion over the use of mechanical timing devices
    31        for the cooking of such products.
    32
    33        Obviously, we feel that one is significant because it shows
    34        there is a fault, a flaw, in the general equipment being
    35        used in the stores and that staff can become confused.  We
    36        would say, obviously are likely to become confused,
    37        especially if they are inexperienced and, as we know, they
    38        have a very high turnover of very young workers.
    39
    40        Then the next admission on 6th August 1990.  McDonald's
    41        pleaded guilty to an offence under section 2 of the Food
    42        Act 1984 for selling a raw chicken sandwich. "A customer
    43        had purchased a McChicken sandwich from McDonald's in
    44        Sutton.  It was examined by an environmental health officer
    45        who found that the bread crumb covering the outside of the
    46        sandwich was pale in appearance and the meat of the
    47        sandwich was found to be pink and translucent and in an
    48        obviously raw condition.  Part of the sandwich was released
    49        to the store manager for the company's own analysis."
    50
    51        That may be particularly relevant because it has been said
    52        that undercooking would be noticed by staff because of the
    53        appearance of a product, and yet here was a product that
    54        not only was it undercooked but it was clearly appearing to
    55        be undercooked, and yet it was still sold.  There was
    56        another admission made on that day regarding -- I think it
    57        is the last one on that day -- the Silver Springs incident
    58        in America, which apparently was due to one of the staff,
    59        or some of the staff having typhoid.
    60

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