Day 105 - 16 Mar 95 - Page 59


     
     1        the point that it is used for many other things than food
     2        safety.  It is meant, it is used -- whilst certain people
     3        may be of the view that it helps them to verify that the
     4        meat is safe, the overriding purpose is to check the
     5        overall bacterial condition in relation to keeping quality
     6        and as an indicator of general hygiene procedures in the
     7        plant from a quality control point of view.
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:   But, apart from specific tests for E.coli and
    10        Salmonella, there is no other method that is used?
    11        A.  No, not of a microbiological nature.
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is this right, that it is an indicator of
    14        general standards of hygiene in a plant?
    15        A.  Yes.
    16
    17   Q.   Therefore, by that indirect route, it might be an indicator
    18        of food safety?
    19        A.  Yes, indirectly, clearly, that would be the case.
    20
    21   MS. STEEL:   No further questions.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you have any more questions, Mr. Morris?
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  No.
    26        ^
    27                          Re-examined by Mr. Rampton
    28
    29   Q.   Mr. Bennett, just, please, further information:  Can
    30        I start with what may happen when meat from different
    31        carcasses is what I think you say is called "bulk"?
    32        A.  Yes.
    33
    34   Q.   Where it is certainly possible, I think you accepted, it
    35        maybe perfectly obvious, that bacteria from one piece of
    36        meat may be transferred to another?
    37        A.  Yes.
    38
    39   Q.   That is a process which you do not care to describe as
    40        contamination, as I understand it?
    41        A.  That is true.
    42
    43   Q.   Yes, my question is this:  Assuming that that happens in
    44        conditions which are not apt to encourage proliferation of
    45        the bacteria which are so transferred, what, if any, risk
    46        to human health do you think that that process of bulking
    47        entails?
    48        A.  Given the proviso, the convention, that the conditions
    49        are not conducive to bacterial growth, I would say that the
    50        additional public health risk is so small as to be 
    51        negligible. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Next, you were asked about the number of Salmonella cases
    54        occurring annually, I think, in the population in this
    55        country of some 57 and a bit million.  You said 30,000
    56        cases a year sounded about right?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   You attributed 60 to 70 per cent of those cases to poultry?
    60        A.  Yes.

Prev Next Index