Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 49
1
2 Q. Paragraph 9 reads: "Of particular note was the mode of
3 delivery of the meat, the quality thereof and its
4 subsequent treatment. The meat was delivered in large
5 pallet boxes, which may have contained up to a tonne of
6 primal butcher's cuts. The cuts were bulked together
7 without individual wrapping. From the colour and texture
8 of the flesh and fat, I judged that much of the meat
9 observed (I saw what must have been several tonnes) had
10 been derived from old cows. I noted flank and diaphragm
11 (skirt) to be the bulk of the meat."
12
13 There are several statements there about which I should
14 like to ask you, Mr. Walker. First of all, does the meat
15 arrive bulked together in the way that he described?
16 A. Yes, in combo bins, 1,400 to 1,600 pounds.
17
18 Q. What does that meat consist of?
19 A. It consists of two specific cuts of complete boneless
20 forequarter and a hind quarter flank in a separate
21 container.
22
23 Q. From what kind of animals does that meat come from? I know
24 they are cows, ordinary beef.
25 A. 56 per cent come from steers and heifers, the
26 forequarters; the balance comes from shop cows.
27
28 Q. What is a shop cow?
29 A. A shop cow is a young cow with white flesh, firm
30 texture. It is a culled cow from the dairy industry. It
31 is not a wet old cow.
32
33 Q. What is an old cannery cow or canning cow?
34 A. When a cow is finished the end of its lactation life,
35 which is about eight, nine years old, when it has given
36 about seven or eight calves, it is then culled out of the
37 dairy herd and it is called the wet canner cow.
38
39 Q. What is a wet screw cow?
40 A. It is the same thing; the screw and a cow are the same
41 thing.
42
43 Q. Your specification, the one we have at tab 4, of volume IX
44 -- do not look at it now; there is no need -- of the pink
45 files at page 45 at paragraph 3.5 says to your supplier:
46 "Wet screw cows will not be acceptable"?
47 A. They are not acceptable.
48
49 Q. What?
50 A. They are not accepted. I mean, there is something else
51 in this paragraph 9 which is inaccurate.
52
53 Q. That may be, I want to come to that in a minute. I am
54 following up the age of the cows at the moment.
55 A. I see, sorry, sir.
56
57 Q. It is all right. Sometimes you have to be patient with me
58 because it sometimes takes a bit of time. The McDonald's
59 specification -- I am looking at page 22 of tab 2 of the
60 same file; you do not need to look at it because I am sure
