Day 107 - 24 Mar 95 - Page 62


     
     1        deliberately: Did it apply only to salmonellosis?  You
     2        said, no, it applies to food poisoning generally as well as
     3        salmonellosis.
     4        A.  Yes, I can accept that we had a wider remit.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  When you get a statement like the one under
     7        "Keeping things in proportion", that is meant to refer to
     8        food poisoning cases in general?
     9        A.  Yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Not just salmonellosis from eggs?
    12        A.  Yes.
    13
    14   Q.   That is right, is it?
    15        A.  Yes.
    16
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  You say and I, of course, would support you to the
    18        hilt, that we should keep in perspective the number of food
    19        poisoning cases as a percentage of the number of meals
    20        eaten?
    21        A.  Yes, agreed.
    22
    23   Q.   We saw in your earlier paper how you said that the number
    24        of cooks who caused food poisoning are absolutely tiny in
    25        comparison with the number that do not, which is a
    26        different way of expressing the same proposition, is it
    27        not?
    28        A.  In agreeing may I add that this is directed towards
    29        regulation, external regulation by government, and we are
    30        telling the government to keep sense of perspective.
    31
    32   Q.   Can I read on: "Statistically you have a much greater
    33        chance of developing food poisoning whilst in hospital than
    34        from eating sandwiches from your local corner cafe."  Can
    35        I pause there?
    36        A.  Yes.
    37
    38   Q.   Would you agree that whereas that may well be right, and
    39        I will not disagree with what you said there, you also
    40        stand a far greater chance of getting food poisoning from
    41        sandwiches at your local corner cafe made with cooked meat
    42        and kept in an unrefrigerated cabinet than you do from
    43        eating a Chicken McNugget at a McDonald's restaurant?
    44        A.  It that is an awful generalisation.  I could not
    45        comment.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It might be said the sentence which
    48        Mr. Rampton said to you is a generalisation, but
    49        approaching it in the same spirit, what do you say about
    50        his suggestion? 
    51        A.  Well, if that sandwich, let us develop it, was 
    52        cornedbeef straight out of the tin you could leave it 
    53        around ----
    54
    55   MR. RAMPTON:  It is a ham sandwich, what in Scotland they call
    56        cooked ham, right, it has been left in a sandwich in an
    57        ordinary cafe on a corner, in a piece of bread with some
    58        perhaps marge or some butter on it on it?
    59        A.  Mr. Rampton, I will accept your proposition.
    60

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