Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 61


     
     1        batch which was E.coli by virtue of the machinery" or some
     2        other kind of contact, but if you have not got something
     3        like that one has to bear that in mind as well.
     4
     5   MS. STEEL:  Sometimes when it looks like we are asking rather a
     6        lot of questions, I know you have been fixed on this but
     7        you have asked us not to keep one person getting up and
     8        then the other, and sometimes it is difficult for me to
     9        explain to Dave what I am wanting him to ask, so it
    10        sometimes takes longer.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I appreciate that.  You have been pretty good
    13        at each of you keeping going for a while before the other
    14        takes over.
    15
    16   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, only one other thing.  Ms. Steel said she
    17        was not aware that there were post-formation or finished
    18        product microbiological tests.  It is item 36 of the
    19        quality control checks which is Appendix 1 to Mr. Walker's
    20        statement.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do have that.  Let me just look for a
    23        moment because I would not necessarily have known that was
    24        specifically E.coli as well.  That includes E.coli, does
    25        it, number 36?
    26
    27   THE WITNESS:  Yes.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Bear in mind what I have said generally,
    30        because it relates not just to the length of
    31        cross-examination, it relates to what I have said about
    32        drowning in detail a little while ago at the end of the
    33        day.  I have said what I wish to say.
    34
    35   MS. STEEL:  Mr. Walker, I do not remember you saying anything
    36        about this in court previously.  So perhaps you can explain
    37        to us exactly what tests are carried out on the finished
    38        product?
    39        A.  Burgers are taken from each pallet.  They are taken
    40        back to the laboratory.  They are emulsified to get a
    41        maximum distribution, in other words, to get the best
    42        result over a large area, and that meat is plated to see
    43        what grows from it and it is injected into sugars like
    44        mannitol, dulcitol and all the bacteriological sugars to
    45        see what grows from it.  It is a routine bacteriological
    46        test.
    47
    48   Q.   How many burgers was it per pallet?
    49        A.  You take about one burger from each pallet.
    50 
    51   Q.   Right. 
    52        A.  From each box on top of the pallet. 
    53
    54   Q.   Each box?
    55        A.  Yes.
    56
    57   Q.   Every box?
    58        A.  Yes.
    59
    60   Q.   And how many are there in a box?

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