Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 33


     
     1        for a slaughterman with a knife.
     2
     3        If you use a pith cane which enters the skull, enters the
     4        cranium cavity, passes down into the spinal cord, the
     5        animal immediately all its nerves jerk and it is all over
     6        and finished and the animal is absolutely still.  So, when
     7        the animal is taken to the bleeding pit and the bleeding
     8        process starts, then there is no danger to the
     9        slaughtermen.
    10
    11   Q.   But what about the man who has to do the pithing; is there
    12        not a danger to him?
    13        A.  No, because he has not got a knife in his hand.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is holding the knife.
    16
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  It is the knife; it is not getting a kick -----
    18        A.  It is the knife.  When a slaughterman is working and
    19        the animal kicks and jerks, there have been many accidents
    20        where the knife, if he has not got his thumb over the end
    21        of it, the blade will go back into the (inaudible).
    22
    23   Q.   Are there any animal welfare implications, in your view,
    24        arising out of pithing or non-pithing?
    25        A.  No, it does not matter.  The animal is dead, I believe.
    26
    27   Q.   Can you put that yellow file on one side and take up the
    28        pink one again?  You should still be on page 37, the McKey
    29        Audit Form, yes?
    30        A.  I am.
    31
    32   Q.   Whoever does this job, and you say it is one person that
    33        travels continuously, is that right ---
    34        A.  Yes.
    35
    36   Q.   -- doing these audits, brings them back to you and you have
    37        told us that you read them?
    38        A.  Yes.
    39
    40   Q.   Do they get shown to the supplier, to the abattoir?
    41        A.  No, but any comments -----
    42
    43   Q.   I was going to come to that.  If there should be a comment
    44        in the "Comments" column which gave you cause for
    45        dissatisfaction, what would you do about it?
    46        A.  A written report would follow up a telephone call
    47        drawing attention to the defect and giving them a specific
    48        amount of time to correct it.
    49
    50   Q.   If they did not correct it? 
    51        A.  Then they would be delisted. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Which means they would stop being a supplier?
    54        A.  Yes, and I personally have done that.
    55
    56   Q.   Sorry?
    57        A.  I personally have done that.
    58
    59   Q.   Would that apply equally to questions of animal welfare as
    60        to questions of food safety?

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