Day 067 - 15 Dec 94 - Page 59
1 to Japan and the US.
2 A. OK. You have to keep in mind that it does not mean
3 McDonald's. We ask at the top, it is the supplier, it is
4 not us. This particular supplier exports or has to export
5 a product to the US and Japan. It does not imply, and
6 I know they do not export McDonald's products to Japan or
7 the US.
8
9 Q. But you said before that that box No. 3 when we went
10 through them, meant that it exported to McDonald's. When
11 we went through a lot of them you said, yes, you knew they
12 did X-Y-Z. Obviously, many places might export to 30 or 40
13 countries if they are big suppliers. It is only relevant,
14 is it not, if it is going to you?
15 A. No, it is not relevant. The question is the product
16 exported to. I probably failed to clarify what the product
17 was, but it comes under the supplier. They are suppliers
18 that are approved and they are currently supplying other
19 countries. It does not necessarily imply that we have
20 received or bought or used some of that product that came
21 from that country. In this particular case our supplier in
22 Costa Rica has never ever supplied McDonald's Japan or the
23 US.
24
25 Q. Since you have heard of anyway?
26 A. Since I heard of, since I have communicated with our
27 people, and I am sure that Ray Cesca will come up with
28 documents, signed documents from those people and the
29 records to prove that. If you have any evidence that they
30 do I would certainly like to see it.
31
32 Q. So how can you be sure? Have you seen the records they
33 have got?
34 A. I have seen what they have produced. I know the
35 countries in which we operate, in this specific case Japan
36 in the US. I have been in Japan and obviously I live in
37 the US. I know where they buy the beef. I know the
38 process that is in place before we approve any export. We,
39 McDonald's, approve the export of any McDonald's product,
40 the handling of any McDonald's product. It has to come
41 through us. There is no record, there has never been a
42 record of any Costa Rican supplier who has supplied any
43 other countries, any other McDonald's restaurants around
44 the world.
45
46 Q. So when you were in Costa, that is from your own
47 experience, you have seen the records and you can say that
48 with confidence?
49 A. Yes, I do.
50
51 Q. Because you have seen the records?
52 A. I have seen records. I have seen the plants. I have
53 asked them. I have asked our suppliers. I have asked our
54 people that are responsible for the zones. That gives me
55 total confidence that it has not happened in the past.
56
57 Q. You said, for example, that records were only kept for
58 three years as a general rule, so how can you say that?
59 I mean, what have you seen ----
60
