Day 068 - 16 Dec 94 - Page 27


     
     1        Take a moment, if you like, to think about it, but come to
     2        the point you want to put.  For all I know, if it is a good
     3        point, Dr. Gomez Gonzales will agree with it straightaway.
     4
     5   MR. MORRIS:  So what are the specifications they have to adhere
     6        to that separates the meat for your line?
     7        A.  They have to identify it.  We start from the farms.  We
     8        have identified the area, that is the dry forest; so within
     9        that area there are ranches that the meat will come from.
    10        They will come with a number.  That number goes with the
    11        animal, and that number goes with the lot of cattle that
    12        will arrive at that particular place.  So they have to
    13        track that part.
    14
    15        When they enter that facility, that tag goes with the
    16        animal, with the cuts.  We have the process, so that at the
    17        end we can identify where the meat came from all the way to
    18        that particular farm.  We identify -- they are well aware
    19        of our product specifications, our raw materials
    20        specifications.  I have had numerous visits with them in
    21        terms of Q and A, our needs, looking at records,
    22        processing, what type of materials not to be used for our
    23        products, what they should use, what proportions -- I could
    24        go on and on and on.  Can you be a little more specific?
    25
    26   Q.   How do you know that they are adhering to your
    27        specifications?
    28        A.  They have records.  We have numerous people that will
    29        visit the plant; mostly our local people.
    30
    31   Q.   McDonald's people?
    32        A.  That is correct.
    33
    34   MR. MORRIS:   Coming on to the rainforest issue:  on
    35        rainforests, what is your specifications relevant to
    36        rainforests?
    37
    38   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, this is really intolerable.  He has spent
    39        the last half hour asking about equipment and the number of
    40        times they make hamburgers in a week.  Mr. Morris asked
    41        Dr. Gomez Gonzales what the rainforest specification was
    42        yesterday, and he gave it verbatim, without even looking at
    43        the document.
    44
    45   MR. MORRIS:  Can you repeat that just for my benefit, then?
    46        A.  That we do not and that we will not use beef that comes
    47        from the rainforest or recently deforested areas.
    48
    49   Q.   What region -- you said the dry forest area, and yesterday
    50        you said Guanacaste.  Is that the same? 
    51        A.  That is correct. 
    52 
    53   Q.   So does that mean that you will not accept any beef outside
    54        the Guanacaste area?
    55        A.  No.  What it implies is that we will not use beef from
    56        what is determined as "the rainforest".  We made that
    57        determination with the Minister of Agriculture, with
    58        ecologists, and we draw up a plan and identified that
    59        area.  There are requirements and definitions for the term
    60        "rainforest", in terms of how much rain they get.  We

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