Day 094 - 01 Mar 95 - Page 30


     
     1        after 1992 when this other incident happened, at what stage
     2        of the product was the testing done?  Was it on the meat as
     3        it arrived at the process plant?
     4        A.  No, it is made on the ground beef that is going to be
     5        made into beef patties.
     6
     7   Q.   So you are the International Meat Quality Manager, why was
     8        not that testing done in the UK when it was done in the US
     9        to prevent the outbreak that happened in Preston in 1991?
    10        A.  We did some, we continued to do testing in the
    11        international markets.  We have not found it.  Many times
    12        in the countries, the problems that we have, there is no
    13        laboratories that can make the tests.  It is a fairly
    14        complicated testing procedure.  Today, up to this day, it
    15        is not a very accurate procedure.  It is not a very
    16        reliable procedure.  But it has been extremely difficult to
    17        prevent this bacteria from doing anything to control it,
    18        to test it for.
    19
    20   Q.   If meat is properly cooked, then it should kill the
    21        bacteria present, should it not?
    22        A.  We have done a number of studies on cooking for
    23        E.coli.  It might or might not be the case that, we are
    24        finding we doing a lot of heat resistant studies that makes
    25        it very complicated, especially we do not know a lot about
    26        this bacteria.
    27
    28   Q.   So E.coli -----
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  We have had evidence so far which so far has
    31        been unchallenged that E.coli is not particularly heat
    32        resistant.  Do you accept that or not?
    33        A.  No, it is heat resistant -- no, sorry, it is destroyed
    34        by heat.
    35
    36   Q.   Yes, but you do not have to burn your burgers in order to
    37        destroy E.coli?
    38        A.  That is correct.
    39
    40   MR. MORRIS:  Both these official reports into Preston -- did you
    41        read the official report into the Preston incident?
    42        A.  No, I did not.
    43
    44   Q.   Do you not think that your department should be analysing
    45        these official statutory investigations into outbreaks
    46        that, you know, happen to McDonald's customers?
    47        A.  Yes, we do.  What happens is that Mr. Paul Simmons at
    48        the time, when I was not in the company in 1991, Mr. Paul
    49        Simmons was responsible for Europe.  He is the one who is
    50        well aware and was involved in this case.  We are a very 
    51        decentralised company.  We relied on our partners here in 
    52        the United Kingdom that are well aware of what happened. 
    53        We relied also on our suppliers.  So I am not only the one
    54        who needs to read this.
    55
    56   Q.   But your department, therefore, would be aware, if
    57        Mr. Simmons is aware he would have told you, presumably,
    58        that the under-cooking of burgers was considered to be the
    59        cause?
    60        A.  We do not know to this date if it was under-cooking.

Prev Next Index