Day 061 - 05 Dec 94 - Page 71
1 just leave it up chance?
2 A. We are concerned with the end product from McKey. They
3 need to satisfy us that the end product is up to standard.
4 They certainly would provide us with any evidence they ever
5 found of finding BSE (which they never have) in any meat
6 that they processed. They also provide us evidence of
7 cattle produced from hormones, hormone treatment or growth
8 promoters. So, any evidence whatsoever relating to
9 anything of concern to McDonald's would be provided to
10 McDonald's by McKey and is.
11
12 Q. But McKey's cannot visit thousands of farms around the
13 country, so how do they know the veterinary history of any
14 particular animal that goes to an abattoir, or how do they
15 know the history of a particular farm that might have bad
16 practices or whatever?
17 A. Well, Mr. Walker will go into that with you in detail.
18 But I have to say that the veterinary inspection that takes
19 place at the abattoir will confirm any evidence of
20 maltreatment, mistreatment, hormone treatment, BSE or any
21 disease for that matter.
22
23 Q. Going back before the animals come into the abattoirs?
24 A. Not before they come in, no; at the time they come in.
25
26 Q. No, what I am saying is, so are you saying that McKey has
27 the specification that the abattoirs have to know where the
28 animals come from, which farms they come from?
29 A. I believe that is true, although I am not certain of
30 that. They may have come from a cattle market, so the
31 market would probably know and not necessarily the
32 abattoir, unless the farm was going direct to the abattoir.
33
34 Q. My understanding of BSE exports, or my understanding of
35 exports to Europe is that the European purchasers, when
36 they purchase British beef, they have specified they must
37 know whether the cattle supplied by an abattoir in this
38 country have come from BSE-free herds, where the complete
39 herd is now BSE free for six years; is that your
40 understanding?
41 A. That is what they have asked for, yes.
42
43 Q. So to do that they would have to know which herds all their
44 exports beef came from, would they not?
45 A. They would.
46
47 Q. And some of McDonald's suppliers also export beef, do they
48 not, not to other McDonald's, but they export beef to
49 Europe?
50 A. McKey Foods exports beef to other McDonald's.
51
52 Q. But also some of the abattoirs that supply McDonald's
53 export?
54 A. They may do, I do not know that for sure.
55
56 Q. All I am saying is that is quite a sensible specification
57 from Europe. Does that apply, as far as you are concerned,
58 with your abattoir suppliers as well?
59 A. No, it does not because we do not use British beef for
60 export of hamburgers.
