Day 081 - 31 Jan 95 - Page 12
1 thing.
2
3 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The same thing?
4 A. Yes.
5
6 MR. RAMPTON: So, this is a count of the total number of bugs
7 per gramme?
8 A. Yes.
9
10 Q. Is that right?
11 A. Yes.
12
13 Q. In the second part of table, there are figures given for
14 individual organisms, right?
15 A. Yes.
16
17 Q. I should draw your attention to the note (1) at the bottom
18 of the page where it says: "The figures given in the Table
19 are not statutory microbiological standards. They are
20 provisional guidelines". Then note (6) -- I am afraid I do
21 not know the date of this document -- says: "Provision has
22 been made for the inclusion of microbiological standards
23 for foods in both the Food Safety Act 1990 and in EC
24 legislation. If mandatory standards are introduced for
25 some or all of the ready to eat foods included in the
26 Table, then interpretation of the results would become more
27 straightforward, viz. samples would either pass or fail the
28 standards". What is the present position, legislative or
29 regulatory position, in relation to these guidelines, do
30 you know?
31 A. As far as I am aware, these are just guidelines and
32 these are the only figures.
33
34 Q. Still?
35 A. Yes.
36
37 Q. Can we look at the second part of the table, again bearing
38 in mind that this is cooked food or some of it is, that is
39 ready to eat, is that right?
40 A. Are we referring?
41
42 Q. I am looking at the ---
43 A. Yes, to the Public Health, yes.
44
45 Q. -- PHLS document?
46 A. Yes.
47
48 Q. These are what we call "ready to eat" foods?
49 A. Yes.
50
51 Q. We see that at the top of the page and I drew your
52 attention to cooked meats. We see also there, above that,
53 cooked pies, pasties, Quiches, etc. and below that things
54 like sandwiches and salads?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. Looking at the second part of the table, the guideline is
58 that you should not detect salmonella in 25 grammes of the
59 substance; is that right?
60 A. Yes.
