Day 081 - 31 Jan 95 - Page 30
1 A. You would have to ensure the product was up to the
2 required temperature, no matter how thick it was or how
3 mixed it was.
4
5 Q. But is it fair to say that if you had the same sized piece
6 of meat -----
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I just insert, by that you mean the whole
9 product would have to be up ---
10 A. Yes.
11
12 Q. -- to the -- right through rather than just surface?
13 A. Yes.
14
15 MS. STEEL: Right. Whereas with a piece of ordinary meat it is
16 the surface that is particularly important, or it is the
17 surface that is the important part?
18 A. Well, if you put it in that way, yes, I suppose that
19 would be correct.
20
21 Q. Would you expect to find bacteria on the inside of the
22 piece of meat that was just kind of not processed and
23 churned about?
24 A. Well, not normally if it is a piece of steak, but there
25 are conditions in particularly large animals, and you do
26 not get them so much now because temperature control is
27 much better, but prior to the advent of modern temperature
28 control, there could be deep-seated anaerobic infections
29 and lead to a problem deep within the meat, but that is not
30 so common nowadays.
31
32 Q. Are burgers something which the health authorities in this
33 country think it is particularly important to ensure that
34 they are cooked right the way through, more important than
35 it would be for your average piece of meat?
36 A. Well, it is a processed meat so, obviously, processed
37 meat is handled and treated slightly differently, with more
38 care, yes.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would be alarmed to hear it is important to
41 cook a piece of steak right through because a very large
42 number of people must be taking incredible risks every time
43 they say they prefer -- on the rare occasions they have
44 steak nowadays -- it rare rather than well-cooked.
45 A. Yes,, I think I was saying that if it is a piece of
46 steak, generally, the inside will be relatively free of
47 infection, but there are some diseases which can be spread
48 through meat.
49
50 Q. But what has been put to you, you have to be particularly
51 careful with processed meat which has been minced and
52 formed in certain ways?
53 A. Yes, sir, more care -----
54
55 Q. Because the surface no longer is the surface?
56 A. Yes, sir.
57
58 MS. STEEL: Are you aware of problems with botulism resulting
59 from cows eating poultry environment/index.html">litter?
60 A. No.
