Day 105 - 16 Mar 95 - Page 19
1 splitting saw and into the inspection, yes?
2 A. Yes.
3
4 Q. It is illegal, is it not, to wash the carcass before
5 inspection?
6 A. No.
7
8 Q. Is it not against the statutory regulations?
9 A. No, it is not.
10
11 Q. Do you know the guidelines for European Commission
12 Inspections for Fresh Meat Establishments?
13 A. Yes, I do.
14
15 Q. Does it say: "The showering or rinsing of carcasses from
16 the time of stunning until the completion of postmortem
17 inspection is not considered to meet the Directive's
18 requirements; that dressing evisceration should be carried
19 out in a way which avoids contamination of fresh meat"?
20 A. It does say that and it is not a statutory document,
21 and it is not one that I personally agree with, nor do many
22 other authorities. I have correspondence with the Ministry
23 of Agriculture which confirms that it is not a statutory
24 requirement.
25
26 Q. OK, it is not a statutory requirement, but it is an EC
27 Directive requirement?
28 A. No, it is not a Directive requirement. The Directive
29 is statute. That is an advisory document for EC inspectors
30 who visit all EC countries from time to time to monitor
31 compliance and, in the words of the Ministry of
32 Agriculture, it is what the Brussels inspectors like to
33 see, but they have no statutory authority either.
34
35 Q. If we look at the top of the page, the "detained room" and
36 the "condemned room"?
37 A. Yes.
38
39 Q. Was not chilled until June 1994; is that correct?
40 A. That is correct.
41
42 Q. Was that not against the statutory requirements or other
43 directive of the relevant authorities?
44 A. It was against the statutory requirement.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When was the statutory requirement in effect?
47 A. I could not give you a precise answer, but 1987 is the
48 date that I am sure that the requirement to chill the
49 detention room was introduced.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: Is that a UK statutory requirement or an EC?
52 A. It is both now.
53
54 Q. EC licensing requirement?
55 A. It has been an EC licensing requirement certainly since
56 1987 and a UK requirement since 1992.
57
58 Q. But they were never prosecuted for that?
59 A. No, indeed.
60
