Day 244 - 03 May 96 - Page 19


     
     1        reports.
     2
     3   Q.   I understand that?
     4        A.  But, yes, it has been going on a long, long time, yes.
     5        During the war, there were regimes.
     6
     7   MR. MORRIS:  But the actual use of organophosphates, which is
     8        what you are typically looking at in your statement, really
     9        took off in the mid 1980s?
    10        A.  Early/mid 1980s, yes.
    11
    12   Q.   I think, as far as I understand, your evidence is that it
    13        was compulsory to treat cattle?
    14        A.  During that period, yes.
    15
    16   Q.   With organophosphate.
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is what comes next in the statement which
    19        really matters in this case.
    20
    21   MR. MORRIS:  I will move on.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL: "their potential for harm".
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  Where are we now?
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You had better read from: "Given the
    28        relatively high dosage rates" again in the middle of that
    29        paragraph.
    30
    31   MR. MORRIS: "Given the relatively high dosage rates of OPs in
    32        respect of sheep and cattle - it is again inconceivable
    33        that residues would not have been found had the correct
    34        sampling sites been chosen.  On balance of probabilities,
    35        therefore, it is fair to say that a significant proportion
    36        of foods sold by McDonald's during the relevant period were
    37        affected by pesticides."
    38
    39   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That would apply to bread generally and beef
    40        generally, would it?
    41        A.  No, my Lord.  The bread generally, I would agree, not
    42        beef generally.  Extensively reared, high quality Aberdeen
    43        Angus, say, would not be exposed to that regime.
    44
    45   Q.   I see.
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:  But beef likely to be used by McDonald's, which you
    48        have seen when you went to their processing plant, would
    49        that be the beef that would be likely to be treated?
    50        A.  As a product of intensive system, yes, and certainly if 
    51        I may add, say you have taken on organic beef, then it is 
    52        as near as one could achieve in an industrial society that 
    53        would be more or less pesticide free because there is no
    54        application permitted.
    55
    56   Q.   We know McDonald's do not use organic beef.  Continuing to
    57        read:
    58
    59        "As to their potential for harm, available evidence on the
    60        risks of long-term, low-level pesticide exposure is

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