Day 080 - 30 Jan 95 - Page 21


     
     1        A.  No, they do not do that.
     2
     3   Q.   As far as you are aware?
     4        A.  As far as I am aware.
     5
     6   Q.   You have said anyway you do not get documentation from the
     7        farms so .....
     8        A.  No.
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Which paragraph are you looking at?
    11
    12   MS. STEEL:  It was the second page on the second fax.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, thank you.
    15
    16   MS. STEEL:   Have you ever asked for evidence of treatment of
    17        animals that are supplied?
    18        A.  No, but there was a period where we were testing for it
    19        but we stopped testing for it because the cost of the
    20        examination was prohibitive and over a long period --
    21        speaking from memory, it was over a year -- we never found
    22        any evidence, plus the fact that the Ministry of
    23        Agriculture publish result tables which show the hormones
    24        and pharmaceutical products that they are testing for, and
    25        they are continually showing negatives.  It is not a
    26        problem in Great Britain.
    27
    28   Q.   When you were testing what were you testing for?
    29        A.  We were testing for residual hormones.
    30
    31   Q.   What about antibiotics, pesticides, and things like that?
    32        A.  Yes.
    33
    34   Q.   Those as well?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.   When was that?
    38        A.  We stopped doing it over a year ago, over a year ago.
    39
    40   Q.   How long had it been going?
    41        A.  We did it for over a year.  Each test is about £28
    42        sterling.
    43
    44   Q.   Is it a problem in any of the other countries that ----
    45        A.  There have been problems in certain Continental
    46        countries, but we do not take meat from those countries.
    47
    48   Q.   It has been a problem in Ireland, has it not; is that not
    49        right?
    50        A.  I think you are probably referring to clenbuterol.  If 
    51        you are, there has been some problem with clenbuterol in 
    52        parts of Ireland but the Irish Ministry of Agriculture has 
    53        stamped that out.
    54
    55   Q.   When did they stamp that out?
    56        A.  It is an onfight but, I mean, it has not been a problem
    57        or there has not been any identified in Ireland, to my
    58        knowledge, now for about two years.  They are banned
    59        substances.
    60

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