Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 49


     
     1
     2   Q.   Paragraph 9 reads:  "Of particular note was the mode of
     3        delivery of the meat, the quality thereof and its
     4        subsequent treatment.  The meat was delivered in large
     5        pallet boxes, which may have contained up to a tonne of
     6        primal butcher's cuts.  The cuts were bulked together
     7        without individual wrapping.  From the colour and texture
     8        of the flesh and fat, I judged that much of the meat
     9        observed (I saw what must have been several tonnes) had
    10        been derived from old cows.  I noted flank and diaphragm
    11        (skirt) to be the bulk of the meat."
    12
    13        There are several statements there about which I should
    14        like to ask you, Mr. Walker.  First of all, does the meat
    15        arrive bulked together in the way that he described?
    16        A.  Yes, in combo bins, 1,400 to 1,600 pounds.
    17
    18   Q.   What does that meat consist of?
    19        A.  It consists of two specific cuts of complete boneless
    20        forequarter and a hind quarter flank in a separate
    21        container.
    22
    23   Q.   From what kind of animals does that meat come from?  I know
    24        they are cows, ordinary beef.
    25        A.  56 per cent come from steers and heifers, the
    26        forequarters; the balance comes from shop cows.
    27
    28   Q.   What is a shop cow?
    29        A.  A shop cow is a young cow with white flesh, firm
    30        texture.  It is a culled cow from the dairy industry.  It
    31        is not a wet old cow.
    32
    33   Q.   What is an old cannery cow or canning cow?
    34        A.  When a cow is finished the end of its lactation life,
    35        which is about eight, nine years old, when it has given
    36        about seven or eight calves, it is then culled out of the
    37        dairy herd and it is called the wet canner cow.
    38
    39   Q.   What is a wet screw cow?
    40        A.  It is the same thing; the screw and a cow are the same
    41        thing.
    42
    43   Q.   Your specification, the one we have at tab 4, of volume IX
    44         -- do not look at it now; there is no need -- of the pink
    45        files at page 45 at paragraph 3.5 says to your supplier:
    46        "Wet screw cows will not be acceptable"?
    47        A.  They are not acceptable.
    48
    49   Q.   What?
    50        A.  They are not accepted.  I mean, there is something else 
    51        in this paragraph 9 which is inaccurate. 
    52 
    53   Q.   That may be, I want to come to that in a minute.  I am
    54        following up the age of the cows at the moment.
    55        A.  I see, sorry, sir.
    56
    57   Q.   It is all right.  Sometimes you have to be patient with me
    58        because it sometimes takes a bit of time.  The McDonald's
    59        specification -- I am looking at page 22 of tab 2 of the
    60        same file; you do not need to look at it because I am sure

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