Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 55


     
     1        for E.coli.  I am afraid this is another paper chase as it
     2        is happens to be in a different file.  The pink file VIII
     3        which should be entitled "Food Poisoning"; you will find it
     4        behind you.  Just before you open that up, I hope it may be
     5        that you have still got open page 47 of pink IX, have you?
     6        I am sorry about this, I just want to ask you one question
     7        by way of preparation, page 47 in tab 4.
     8        A.  Yes, sir.
     9
    10   Q.   We stopped looking at this document at paragraph 6.1 where
    11        we looked at the colonies.  6.2 says:  "A minimum of 75 per
    12        cent of the results per month from a particular supplier
    13        must be below 5 times 10 to the 5 per gramme.  A maximum
    14        25 per cent is permissible in the passable range.  No
    15        result should exceed five million per gramme.  Suppliers
    16        will be informed of results from their deliveries."   What,
    17        in practice, is the system by which you would enforce that
    18        provision?
    19        A.  All suppliers get a copy of each bacteriological result
    20        and we publish a league table which is a very good way of
    21        embarrassing them.  In actual fact, the supplier can be
    22        passable in all samples, but if he comes bottom of the
    23        league table for two consecutive months, he is in very
    24        serious trouble.
    25
    26   Q.   In practice, how often -- again I am not asking for a
    27        figure -- does it happen that anybody comes bottom, say,
    28        two or even three months running?
    29        A.  It has happened once in the last four years and the
    30        person was delisted.  They no longer supply us.
    31
    32   Q.   Can you kindly put away pink IX and turn to tab 3 at pink
    33        VIII?  I hope that is a document called "Microbiological
    34        Guidelines"?
    35        A.  It is.
    36
    37   Q.   It is a more detailed account than the one we saw in the
    38        other document.  Are you able to help us with the date for
    39        this particular document?  It does not have one on it.
    40        A.  I am not able to help you specifically with a date.  It
    41        has come out of the technical office.  I recognise the work
    42        of my Group Technical Manager but, by looking at the change
    43        in the directorships, it gives me a clue that it was about
    44        91.
    45
    46   Q.   Do you think it is pre or post Preston?
    47        A.  I cannot honestly answer that, sir.
    48
    49   Q.   That does not matter.  You see the first bit is the same as
    50        what we saw in the specification.  I was going to ask you, 
    51        is this an internal document or is it sent to the 
    52        suppliers? 
    53        A.  No, it would be sent to the suppliers because it is
    54        part of the McKey boneless beef specification.
    55
    56   Q.   It makes reference to EC Minced Meat Directive; do you see
    57        that in the last of the text paragraphs?
    58        A.  Yes.
    59
    60   Q.   It sets out, really, the criteria by which these tests for

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