Day 080 - 30 Jan 95 - Page 22


     
     1   Q.   Clenbuterol?
     2        A.  Yes, clenbuterol can be given as a medicine to a cow
     3        but it is a banned substance to be used as a growth
     4        promotor.
     5
     6   Q.   Why is it banned as a growth promotor?
     7        A.  Well, because it is a hormone and it is not natural.
     8
     9   Q.   So it may have implications for people's health?
    10        A.  Not necessarily.  There are papers written which --
    11        there are papers written which actually say that the
    12        dilution in meat is such, so infinitesimal that it is not
    13        relevant but, I mean, that is besides the point.  The law
    14        says that you must not use growth promotors.
    15
    16   Q.   But is that the reason it was banned, because of health
    17        concerns?
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you know the reason it was banned,
    20        Mr. Walker?
    21        A.  It was banned, sir, because it was decided that it is
    22        not natural and not right.  It was banned by the EEC and
    23        the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
    24
    25   Q.   But, you see, I think what you are being asked is whether,
    26        for instance, it was on some moral basis or ethical basis
    27        or on a health basis or a combination, perhaps, of the two
    28        or some other factor altogether, do you know?
    29        A.  I think it was on the combination, sir, of health and,
    30        you know, building up resistance.  There has always been a
    31        fear of building up a resistance to antibiotics.
    32
    33   MS. STEEL:   How long have you been buying beef from Ireland?
    34        A.  In the context of McDonald's?
    35
    36   Q.   Yes.
    37        A.  Since 1978.
    38
    39   Q.   Since 1978?
    40        A.  Yes.
    41
    42   Q.   Did you take any steps to check for clenbuterol, in
    43        specific?
    44        A.  I explained to you that we were checking for it for
    45        over a year and we never found it.
    46
    47   Q.   Before it was banned?
    48        A.  Before it was banned -- I am not sure when it was
    49        banned.
    50 
    51   Q.   OK.  So you were checking for it at this time a year ago, 
    52        or whenever it was, two years ago?   So, you were not 
    53        checking prior to that time then?
    54        A.  No, but, as I said, the Ministry of Agriculture has
    55        always published tables which, you know, the number of
    56        tests that they do and the results they get.
    57
    58   Q.   But would you specifically know whether that applied to the
    59        meat that you were buying?
    60        A.  No.

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