Day 069 - 19 Dec 94 - Page 15
1 Over the page: "Warehouse, Greenfield, South Carolina, who
2 advised this product was purchased through Tyson and was
3 processed in Nashville. Contacted Dr. Hemphill over
4 Epidemiology Branch, who said they would not make a case
5 file of this complaint since product was raw and prepared
6 by the consumer. Discussed with David Keith, Supervisor,
7 of Tyson Foods, who said their firm did process chicken
8 drumsticks under this labelling. Supervisory comment:
9 information obtained is not conclusive enough on plant of
10 origin to forward this complaint. The original will be
11 filed at the Sub Area with a copy to the Area."
12
13 Have you spoken to Tysons about this incident?
14 A. Yes, I have.
15
16 Q. What did they tell you?
17 A. Basically, the same things that are written here, that
18 they are not sure about the origin of products; they do
19 make those kinds of product. Secondly, it is a raw product
20 that they sell, and the consumer is the one who cooks it.
21 So, therefore, for that reason there is not enough -- we
22 are not liable for what the consumer does to the product.
23 Third, it is an incident where it seems to be a food-borne
24 illness, which is documented here in this form, and that
25 could take place from many other things that the consumers
26 ate prior to eating what they are supposed or alleged,
27 Tyson products.
28
29 It is for this reason -- and taking into consideration the
30 pounds that this plant produces of chicken -- when you have
31 two cases, and Winn Dixie, which is a big retail store --
32 bigger than anything I have seen here in London -- if they
33 had a case of food poisoning, it would have been a lot more
34 than just two complaints. So when the inspector visited
35 their plants and follow up, they found no evidence of
36 neglect that could be attributed to Tysons.
37
38 Q. Can we pass on to the next one? I will do these now as
39 quickly as I can, Dr. Gomez Gonzalez. The complainant here
40 seems to have been Mr. Joseph Smith. The item of chicken
41 was something called a Rock Cornish Game Hen. What is
42 that?
43 A. It is a small -- basically, it is a small hen, a small
44 bird, small chicken.
45
46 Q. It was supplied by Tyson Poultry Inc. of Springdale,
47 Arkansas. Does that plant supply McDonald's or not?
48 A. No, they do not.
49
50 Q. Is that a plant that you, yourself, have visited or not?
51 A. No, I have not.
52
53 Q. This is a complete bird then, was it, that was sold?
54 A. That is correct.
55
56 Q. It is said that he became ill 10 to 12 hours, apparently,
57 after eating the product. The foreign object which was
58 said to have been found inside it might have been, or
59 appeared to be a chicken gizzard which was not cut or
60 inside cleaned out. He said, did Mr. Smith, that he was
