Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 54


     
     1        A.  The isolation rate from our neck skins now is around 20
     2        per cent.
     3
     4   Q.   What is the difference?
     5        A.  As I explained before, the cross-contaminant, the
     6        opportunity for cross-contamination in the processing
     7        factory means that many -- that any intestines which are
     8        split at any point in the slaughter process could result in
     9        contamination of other birds.  So, that is why we see a
    10        higher isolation rate in birds as they finish the slaughter
    11        process as to birds starting the slaughter process.
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I have got a bit lost then because I thought
    14        that you have said that now by the neck test the isolation
    15        rate is 20 per cent; it has dropped from the 30 of five
    16        years ago, but your isolation rate now in deboned meat but
    17        before further processing is one per cent.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:  No, it is 25 per cent.
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What was the one per cent then?
    22        A.  The one per cent was -- in fact, it was the isolation
    23        rate from birds coming into the factory from their
    24        intestines removed intact before -----
    25
    26   Q.   So it is still 20 to 25 per cent of meat samples?
    27        A.  That is correct.
    28
    29   MS. STEEL:  And it is 20 per cent of chickens that have
    30        salmonella on their necks?
    31        A.  Yes.
    32
    33   Q.   From the neck test?
    34        A.  Yes.
    35
    36   Q.   So some chickens that have salmonella in their necks do not
    37        have it in their intestines?
    38        A.  I do not see why -- how you can make that conclusion.
    39
    40   Q.   No, I am trying to understand.
    41
    42   MR. MORRIS:  I think maybe you should explain the process
    43        simply.  I do not think any of us understand it.
    44        A.  Right.  I am sorry if I did not make it clear before.
    45        A bird carries salmonella in the cecum of the intestine
    46        which is a blind sac attached to the intestine.  As it
    47        comes into the factory, it goes through the process of
    48        slaughtering and scalding and all the rest of it and comes
    49        to evisceration.
    50 
    51        The package of intestines is removed and we take a sample 
    52        of cecum at that stage, and we find that the actual 
    53        isolation rate from those is only from one per cent of
    54        birds.  But what actually happens during the evisceration
    55        process, a number of intestines do get split and the
    56        contamination then can spread to other birds in the
    57        slaughter process.
    58
    59        The other thing which I said yesterday -----
    60

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