Day 094 - 01 Mar 95 - Page 40
1 Q. How often does it happen that ingestor backs up from the
2 wind pipe and spills out all over the head?
3 A. No, not very often.
4
5 Q. What one per cent, two per cent?
6 A. I would say that I have never seen it, so it is
7 probably less than that.
8
9 Q. Have you been to this particular plant?
10 A. No, I have not.
11
12 Q. You have not?
13 A. No.
14
15 Q. Is it correct that the workers who open up the cheeks to
16 make the glands visible for US DA inspections are unskilled
17 and untrained in that procedure?
18 A. No, but, in fact, the majority of the head is sold as
19 heads. There is a small proportion that is removed and it
20 is sold as chick meat, a very small proportion. Primarily,
21 the entire head is what is, how it is marketed, (inaudible)
22 the employees are trained.
23
24 MR. RAMPTON: I am having some slight difficulty hearing.
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Do try to keep your voice up.
27
28 MS. STEEL: Do the workers learn on the job doing this
29 procedure?
30 A. This particular procedure?
31
32 Q. Yes.
33 A. They usually have a training line where they train the
34 employees. I have not seen this particular plant, so
35 I cannot tell you the location of that. But they are
36 trained for two reasons: I know in this particular case,
37 I have worked quite extensively with Mr. Paul Clayton, who
38 is the Vice President of Quality Assurance of Montfort. We
39 have been working with them in the implementation of HACCP
40 programmes at all of our suppliers that supply beef to our
41 suppliers, including Montfort. I know that they have
42 extensive training in sanitary procedures as well as the
43 removal of the meat from the carcass.
44
45 Q. At what stage is the implementation of the HACCP programme?
46 A. It is as soon as they receive the animals -----
47
48 Q. No, no, you said you are working with them to implement a
49 HACCP programme?
50 A. Yes.
51
52 Q. At what stage has that reached? Is it in process now?
53 A. No, no, it is already in place.
54
55 Q. How long has that been in place?
56 A. I would say a year and a half from the time I have been
57 involved in this with our suppliers, of abattoirs that
58 supply our suppliers. They have been leaders in
59 implementation of HACCP prior to our involvement. So, I do
60 not know how long they have been doing it.
