Day 094 - 01 Mar 95 - Page 56


     
     1        A.  No, it would not cause me to do that.
     2
     3   Q.   It would still be acceptable then?
     4        A.  It depends on the microbiological level.  One of the
     5        things that the government as well as we are pushing is for
     6        those kinds of regulations.  An inspector cannot see that.
     7        If it happens or if in this case if you want any insect, if
     8        it happens to be there and then leaves, it could leave
     9        bacteria.  Under the present system there is no way to tell
    10        that.  An inspector cannot see that.  We are pushing for
    11        regulations that will allow us to test the meat and use
    12        that as a measure to determine whether or not that we
    13        should use that meat.
    14
    15   Q.   If you went into a slaughterhouse, you personally, you were
    16        making one of your inspections and you saw cockroaches
    17        landing on the meat then, you would not say immediately,
    18        "You are out as a supplier"; you would test for the levels
    19        of bacteria?
    20        A.  No.  You are totally.  You are asking me to speculate.
    21        What I would do is find out more about it before I can draw
    22        a conclusion.  Just give me things to say.  To say you can
    23        draw a conclusion, I cannot do that. I make decisions based
    24        on facts.  I make decisions on the corrective actions.
    25        I make decisions on their additives.  Would I ever hesitate
    26        if I see a problem to discontinue a supplier, no.  I have
    27        discontinued suppliers.
    28
    29   Q.   Who have you discontinued then?  Well, for what reasons
    30        have you discontinued?
    31        A.  I discontinued a supplier in Venezuela just recently
    32        for not achieving the proper temperature of the meat when
    33        it arrives at our processing plant.
    34
    35   Q.   Are there any other ones that have been discontinued?  Are
    36        there any in the USA that have been discontinued?
    37        A.  No.  Some of the others have discontinued another
    38        supplier in Venezuela simply because the attitude.
    39
    40   Q.   Your suppliers, as opposed to the slaughterhouses, the
    41        patty suppliers, they do just spot checks on the meat?
    42        A.  That is correct.
    43
    44   Q.   How long have they been doing those spot checks?
    45        A.  As long as I can remember.
    46
    47   Q.   Are they checking for any specific sort of bacteria?
    48        A.  Yes, they are.
    49
    50   Q.   Which ones are they checking for? 
    51        A.  I will pick one supplier.  There are variations with 
    52        the supplier, but normally what they check for is what is 
    53        called a standard play count which will give you an
    54        indication of the total number of micro organisms, a total
    55        number.  We check for salmonella, that is an indicator
    56        organism that will give an indication level of bacteria
    57        they may be harmful for humans.  We also check for
    58        staphylococcus.  We check for coli forms.
    59
    60   Q.   So different ones do different tests, do they?

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