Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 18


     
     1        hear.
 
     2   MS. STEEL:   It is talking about the amount of current used.
              There was a test carried out in November 1992 at an
     3        abattoir processing about 8 million birds a year.
 
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Are you reading verbatim?
 
     5   MS. STEEL:   I am just trying to give an introduction so people
              know what the start of it was.  I will start on the page
     6        before:  "Observation of the carcass quality of 150
              broilers weighing an average of 2.2 kilograms liveweight
     7        indicated that only 10.3 per cent of breast fillets", that
              is 10.3 per cent of 300 birds, "suffered from carcass
     8        blemishes sufficiently severe to result in possible
              downgrading.  There were no blemishes in 44 per cent and
     9        45.7 per cent were intermediate.  These blemishes were
              situated on the surface of the pectoralis minor muscle and
    10        appeared as broken capillary vessels.
 
    11        In addition to those described above, a number of
              measurements were made of 19 individual birds.  These
    12        indicated that the current flow at 144 volts (not under
              load) varied from 175 milliamps (impedance = 822 ohms) to
    13        115mA (impedance = 1252 ohms). Of the 38 breast fillets
              scored, 4 (10%) had blemishes sufficiently severe to
    14        result in possible downgrading, 23 (61%) had no blemishes
              and 11 (29%) were intermediate.
    15
              This abattoir sells approximately 70% of its output as
    16        fresh portions to many leading stores and supermarkets,
              including Harrods, Safeways and Sainsburys.  All birds are
    17        dead ... on emergence from stunning water bath (current =
              120 milliamps per bird).  A similar regime has been
    18        operating for at least 10 years during which time some 70
              to 80 million birds have been processed. According to the
    19        management, and as is seen from the above results, the
              product is of the highest quality and is not affected by
    20        the high stunning current".
 
    21        It is apparent from that that three major buyers of
              poultry consider that stunning birds at 120 milliamps does
    22        not mean that the poultry is not acceptable to the
              consumer, do you agree?
    23
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What do you say that about?
    24        A.  Can I have one question and then add a comment?  Did
              you say that was the current under no load?  I missed that
    25        bit.
  
    26   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I will give my copy now to the witness. 
  
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  If you do not mind perhaps Dr. Gregory can
              have the second copy.
    28
         MR. RAMPTON:  It is apparent when one looks at it what it is.
    29        Of course, it is not evidence.  It is the basis for a
              question, I quite accept.
    30
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Look to see what the document is first.

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