Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 43
1
MR. RAMPTON: Unless Mr. Morris is going to suggest that whole
2 cows are used for McDonald's hamburgers, this line of
cross-examination has no purpose whatsoever. He knows
3 perfectly well which part of a cow is used for hamburgers
because it is in the evidence.
4
MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is the point you are seeking to make?
5
MR. MORRIS: I was trying to identify the parts of the cow that
6 would be used for hamburgers, to compare, but I do not
happen to remember which particular part of the cow would
7 be used.
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you know yourself?
A. Forequarter.
9
Q. The forequarters. When we come to cows, it is the
10 forequarters; what about the fat there?
A. Comparing forequarter cow versus four quarter, let us
11 say, steer, there will be a tremendous range within each.
It would overlap, there would not be any large
12 differences, I suspect, but I do not know.
13 Q. Does that pale into insignificance with what the processor
does?
14 A. It does because there is a lot of trim as well. When
the carcass is processed in the abattoir before it goes to
15 McKey's, for example, there would be fat trim as well when
it is cut up.
16
MR. MORRIS: You said in Scotland it is your information that
17 McDonald's suppliers supply Aberdeen Angus beef, is that
correct?
18 A. I am not sure whether it is Aberdeen Angus; they do
get some beef from Scotland, yes, that is correct.
19
Q. That would not be dairy cows?
20 A. As I understand it, it is not dairy cows. That is
correct.
21
Q. Is there any welfare implications in the transport of cows
22 to markets and then to McKey's?
A. To the slaughterhouse, you mean?
23
Q. Yes. If you could summarise some of the welfare problems
24 associated with that?
A. I think the first point to remember (which I mentioned
25 the other day) was that dairy cows are used to being
handled, so they are quite different from, say, a heifer
26 or a steer which is taken off more extensive types of
conditions and they are not used to being handled. So,
27 the animal you are dealing with in the first place is not
an intractable animal; it is easy to handle. That is
28 point one. That in itself means that it is less prone to
trauma, less prone to abuse as well. It is not going to
29 be so provocative in terms of abuse.
30 However, transport may well be stressing to the cow. They
often are put through an auction ring before they are
