Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 54
1
2 Q. Until it is released?
3 A. That is correct. To answer the other question,
4 "inspection", that is an area where it is our own people,
5 whether it could be the plant, that will inspect the meat.
6
7 Q. Then we go around the corner, past another sterile apron
8 wash to an oblong, a rectangle, marked "hatch and fat
9 conveyor"; what is that for?
10 A. This is for the trimmings. After the muscles have been
11 separated, there are some trimmings that are fat that are
12 sent through this process, and it could be sent to
13 rendering, it could be sent to a company that produces pet
14 foods and so forth.
15
16 Q. Then more or less finally, there is a man standing in a
17 smaller rectangle headed sideways "carcass wash"; what does
18 that mean?
19 A. At the end of the process when the carcass has been
20 processed and cleaned, there is a final wash that is
21 applied to remove some of the bond dust that might have
22 been left when they split the carcasses, or may be some
23 other blood that can still be present.
24
25 Q. Is that a satisfactory way of ensuring that the carcass, as
26 far as possible, at this stage is free of contamination?
27 A. Yes, some companies also use in this process some
28 anti-bacterials such as acids. There is an acid wash that
29 has now been looked into it and has been approved for use
30 in the US, so as to go even further in case there is some
31 still some bacteria present, it will kill it.
32
33 MR. RAMPTON: Unless your Lordship has any other questions about
34 this plan at the moment perhaps we can all put it away?
35
36 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No.
37
38 MR. MORRIS: Can I ask what the status of this plan is because
39 it has not got a date? I do not know if it is complete,
40 I presume it is, but on the right-hand side it looks like
41 there may be something further.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I assume someone is going to be called in due
44 course who will help us about the plan.
45
46 MR. RAMPTON: Yes.
47
48 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Mr. Morris and Ms. Steel will be able to ask
49 him anything about its accuracy or anything more they want
50 to ask about procedures. But, since Dr. Gomez Gonzales is
51 here first, it is put to him on the basis that it is an
52 accurate reflection in so far as it shows anything. You
53 will have the opportunity to question a witness as to its
54 accuracy or any further information about the particular
55 abattoir in due course.
56
57 MR. RAMPTON (To the witness): One final question, Dr. Gomez
58 Gonzales, about cattle before I move briefly on to pigs:
59 To what extent are cattle in the United States fed on soya
60 meal?
