Day 104 - 15 Mar 95 - Page 26
1
2 Q. Because after that we go to 31st May. I will finish in
3 April. It is noted that there were blood clots, do you
4 see, it has a cross?
5 A. Yes.
6
7 Q. The defects noted box says "Excessive blood clots on neck"
8 something, what does that say, do you know?
9 A. "Neck area".
10
11 Q. Thank you. The action taken was that the person who wrote
12 that -- appears to be the same handwriting -- spoke
13 to P. Britain?
14 A. Yes.
15
16 Q. Who would be the significance, from a human health point of
17 view, of blood clots on the neck area?
18 A. Theoretically again, if could I repeat the term, there
19 is a marginally greater chance of bacterial growth on blood
20 tissues than there is on fat or meat.
21
22 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, I mention for your Lordship's note, that
23 from pages 28 to 61 there are the same groups of five
24 sheets taking us through to the end of November 1994.
25 Going back, please, to your statement just under paragraph
26 31, the quotation from Ms. Hovi's allegation, do you have
27 that? It is the bottom of page 10 of your statement.
28 A. Yes.
29
30 Q. She says: "... causing the meat to be cut and dispatched
31 at temperatures higher than required plus seven degrees
32 Centigrade" -- we have dealt with that -- "leading to an
33 added risk of contamination and bacterial growth". What
34 connection, if any, does or might a temperature higher than
35 seven degrees have with contamination? I understand
36 bacterial growth.
37 A. In my view, none because contamination means that by
38 physical contact or indirect contact bacteria have been
39 transferred from one point to another and, therefore,
40 temperature is not relevant in that context.
41
42 Q. It is not that when the bacteria get over heated they jump
43 off the meat and fly on to another piece of meat?
44 A. Indeed they do not.
45
46 Q. Turn over the page of your statement, please, to page 11
47 and look at the next quotation from Ms. Hovi's statement.
48 She says: "No hygiene checks or quality control measures
49 were carried out at the premises". What comment do you
50 have to make about that?
51 A. I am forced to say that it is not true.
52
53 Q. Do those documents we have been looking at have anything to
54 do with hygiene checks or quality control measures?
55 A. Yes, they are both entirely about hygiene checks and
56 quality control.
57
58 Q. Then she says: "My suggestions", this is in April 1994,
59 "to set up a surface swab programme were met with strong
60 resistance". What comment do you have about that?
