Day 067 - 15 Dec 94 - Page 26


     
     1
     2   Q.   -- better trace where it was coming from?
     3        A.  That was one part, that is correct.  There are also
     4        number of other issues that we have or practice that we
     5        took into consideration to reduce the number of suppliers.
     6
     7   Q.   No, what I am asking is whether that is something has just
     8        taken place in the last few years or whether that has been
     9        an ongoing process for five or 10 years?
    10        A.  We have, if you look back at the last five years, we
    11        have made an attempt to reduce the number of suppliers
    12        throughout the year, and because there is a significant
    13        variation in the supply of beef, you cannot make
    14        assumptions that every year we have reduced the number of
    15        suppliers because in some years we have to use some other
    16        suppliers, some additional suppliers.
    17
    18   Q.   But, say, five or six years ago would you have been using
    19        more than 74 suppliers?
    20        A.  I do not know.
    21
    22   Q.   You do not know?
    23        A.  No.  It could be, it could be not; it depends in that
    24        particular year what was the supply of beef in that year.
    25        Did we have a drought?  Was it an over supply of beef?  I
    26        do not know.  Our efforts have been continued to try to
    27        reduce the number of suppliers, yes.
    28
    29   Q.   You said that has been taking place over the last five
    30        years.
    31        A.  I said that in the last year.  I know this year we have
    32        reduced the number of suppliers because this year there is
    33        an over supply of beef.  Taking that into consideration, we
    34        can reduce the number of suppliers because they will supply
    35        us with more beef.
    36
    37   Q.   The forms that you we looked at yesterday from all around
    38        the world, is that the audit form that you use?
    39        A.  For what?
    40
    41   Q.   For monitoring slaughterhouses?
    42        A.  We used a number of the things.  A paper would not give
    43        you an indication of the conditions in which the animals
    44        are treated.  We understand that, and we have taken the
    45        approach that is more valuable for our people to be present
    46        in these different locations and throughout the supply
    47        chain, and when I said "our people", it is McDonald's
    48        people ---
    49
    50   Q.   Making visits? 
    51        A.  -- and it is the suppliers who will be looking with 
    52        their own eyes at the treatment of animals, and how they 
    53        are being raised and how they are being treated.
    54
    55   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  But accepting that for the moment, the sheets
    56        we looked at yesterday all have "meat slaughter practices"
    57        across the top?
    58        A.  That is correct.
    59
    60   Q.   What you are asked, although it was used for a different

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