Day 094 - 01 Mar 95 - Page 71


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Follow my direction and do that now.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS (To the witness):  You have not read the Oregon
     4        report, but it was noted in the report that during busy
     5        periods certain parts of the grill in restaurant 2,
     6        whichever restaurant that was but it was McDonald's, were
     7        cooler than the temperature standard established by
     8        McDonald's.  So, was that a problem of the old grill types,
     9        this is 1982, that you wanted to avoid when you changed
    10        some of your grill machinery?
    11        A.  I do not know.  I was not with the company in 1981.
    12        I have not had -- I have not heard any concerns that will
    13        indicate that; that there are some variations in
    14        temperature in the grill area, I said it before.  You will
    15        find that.  It is always a normal variation in any process.
    16
    17   Q.   So that is why now, is it, that you have changed to
    18        checking the internal temperatures of routine sampling,
    19        rather than just relying on grill temperatures and times,
    20        is that correct?  It is a more accurate analysis of whether
    21        it is being properly cooked?
    22        A.  Yes, it is.
    23
    24   Q.   So do you accept that before your newly introduced checking
    25        system, then there may have been problems with under-cooked
    26        burgers which you were not noticing?
    27        A.  No, I do not accept that.
    28
    29   Q.   That is what the report -----
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  He has not accepted that.  You have to take
    32        it up with me by some other route.  He does not accept it.
    33        It is eight or nine years before he joined the company.
    34
    35   MR. MORRIS:  The new grills and the new checking systems, have
    36        they been brought in to try to avoid previous risks that
    37        food would be under-cooked?
    38        A.  Let me answer that two ways.  We have made comparisons
    39        side by side with the new system as well as the gas or
    40        electric grills.  We have not found a significant
    41        difference.  In addition to that, we have done a lot of
    42        work looking again at the entire process, not just at the
    43        cooking side.  We have made improvements in every aspect,
    44        from raw materials, from our suppliers, from the
    45        distribution centres to the restaurant operations.  We are
    46        always continually improving.  How much -- that is it.
    47
    48   Q.   But, as far as you are concerned, before you did your
    49        testing, internal testing, of burgers, yes, when you joined
    50        you were doing the old system, yes, which was relying on 
    51        the cooking times and temperatures, yes? 
    52        A.  No, when I joined they had the new cooking equipment. 
    53
    54   Q.   Yes, but you were not doing the routine internal
    55        temperature testing?
    56        A.  Oh, that is correct.
    57
    58   Q.   That is correct, yes.  So, you were relying on the cooking
    59        times and temperatures to reach the minimum standards set
    60        by the company?

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