Day 080 - 30 Jan 95 - Page 19
1 Q. Is that correct?
2 A. Yes.
3
4 Q. When did you start testing on a systematic basis every
5 batch?
6 A. 1991.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Post Preston?
9 A. Post Preston.
10
11 MR. MORRIS: I think you have probably said that.
12
13 MS. STEEL: Can you explain what document comes with the beef
14 from the abattoir?
15 A. Yes. Until quite recently it has been a veterinary
16 certificate. There has been a change in the law and it is
17 now called a "commercial document". It was done to try to
18 keep down the amount of paper that is travelling with meat
19 but the veterinary officer must sign the commercial
20 document.
21
22 Q. That only came in this year?
23 A. Yes.
24
25 Q. This month. The one that there was previously, the
26 veterinary certificates, what did that include information
27 about?
28 A. It just -- it signifies that the vet -- that the meat
29 has been inspected and passed fit for human consumption,
30 that antemortem and postmortem tests have been carried
31 out. There is no legal requirement for that. A health
32 certificate is sufficient but McKey always ask for a
33 veterinary certificate.
34
35 Q. Would any documents come from the farms?
36 A. No.
37
38 Q. None at all?
39 A. No.
40
41 Q. Have you ever asked for documents from the farms?
42 A. No, that is an impossible thing to do.
43
44 Q. Right. Why is that impossible?
45 A. Well, if you take -- let us just do it mathematically:
46 If we have 50 suppliers and they have 100 farms supplying
47 them a week, then it is not until the cattle are dead and
48 graded that someone in management takes a decision that
49 that is going to be boned for McKey. The spider's web is
50 too great. You are talking about 50 x 100, you are talking
51 about 5,000 farms a week.
52
53 Q. Most of the cattle used by McDonald's, do they come through
54 auctions and markets?
55 A. They can come through auctions and markets, or they can
56 go to the abattoirs on grade and dead weight. We do not
57 know where they come from.
58
59 Q. If they are not from markets and auctions -- I am not sure,
60 do they come direct from the farms then?
