Day 107 - 24 Mar 95 - Page 70


     
     1
     2        5.  The environment:  Any of the surfaces, utensils or
     3        tools which may, in turn, have been contaminated by any one
     4        of the three previous sources.
     5
     6        The investigator must identify the source if a complete
     7        picture of the outbreak is to be built up.
     8
     9        4.3.3, Causes:  The cause is the combination of the
    10        sequence of events which led up to the outbreak.  The
    11        simplest cause arises when a food ingredient arrives at the
    12        kitchen in a highly contaminated state, sufficient to
    13        poison the consumers.  This is very rare indeed".
    14
    15        Does that hold good at the present day, Mr. North?
    16        A.  It holds good in respect of food poisoning, with the
    17        qualification of this particular type of salmonella in
    18        relation to poultry, the salmonella enteritidis which we
    19        found latterly, was on occasions given this incredibly high
    20        doses.
    21
    22   Q.   Then you go on:  "What usually happens is that a very small
    23        amount contamination is introduced into the food at any one
    24        of a number of stages.  The food is not subjected to any
    25        process after the introduction of the bacteria, and then a
    26        period of time is allowed which enables the bacteria to
    27        multiply to disease levels.
    28
    29        It is quite possible for an egg to be a source of
    30        contamination.  For there to be a food poisoning outbreak,
    31        however, there must" -- and you put that word in bold --
    32         "have been a significant period when, in the made-up
    33        products, the bacteria are exposed to warm conditions that
    34        allow them to multiply.
    35
    36        A primary factor in the cause of an outbreak, therefore, is
    37        usually a breakdown of temperature control in the chain of
    38        production or distribution".
    39
    40        Subject to all allowable reservations and qualifications
    41        you might put in if you were writing a longer piece, does
    42        this hold good as a general exposition of the sequence of
    43        events and causes of food poisoning outbreaks?
    44        A.  Certainly of food poisoning as distinct from
    45        food-borne, absolutely.
    46
    47   Q.   Food-borne?
    48        A.  Food-borne.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Food-borne.  Then although you mentioned eggs 
    51        and you start off at 4.3 on the previous page: "An outbreak 
    52        of food poisoning" which is non-specific, this would apply 
    53        to all salmonella, would it?
    54        A.  Yes.
    55
    56   MR. RAMPTON:  It would apply to campylobacter as well?
    57        A.  No, it would not.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, because that falls into other category.
    60

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