Day 080 - 30 Jan 95 - Page 24
1 When clenbuterol was used in Ireland, it was only a few, a
2 very few, rogue farmers. In the context of the total
3 cattle population of Ireland and the distribution of our
4 suppliers over Ireland, it is a mathematical probability
5 that we never would have had any cattle with clenbuterol.
6 Also, the final part of your question, if there was any
7 clenbuterol (and I doubt it), as I have said just a few
8 moment ago, I have read a paper which says that the
9 distribution and dilution is such that it is not a
10 problem. But I cannot -- the whole of my answer is
11 opinion. It is not based on fact. I do not know which
12 rogue farmers use clenbuterol.
13
14 MS. STEEL: What are the acceptable levels of pesticides and
15 hormones and things like that, as far as the MAFF are
16 concerned?
17 A. As far as I am aware, nil.
18
19 Q. Nothing?
20 A. Nothing on hormones.
21
22 Q. Do you actually know that or is that just what you think?
23 A. I know that.
24
25 Q. That is on hormones?
26 A. Yes, because all cattle have to -- any cattle that has
27 been on an antibiotic cannot be released to be killed for
28 14 days after an antibiotic has been used by a veterinary
29 officer.
30
31 Q. What about in terms of pesticide residues and things like
32 that?
33 A. Well, as I have said, I think, earlier on, pesticides
34 do not apply to cattle per se because pesticides are used
35 on crops. Cattle -----
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, you have explained that before.
38 A. I thought I had, sir, yes.
39
40 Q. Rather, you have given your evidence in relation to that?
41 A. Yes, I thought I had, sir.
42
43 MS. STEEL: So do the MAFF actually have specifications about
44 the levels of pesticide residues in meat or not?
45 A. No.
46
47 Q. Do they assume it is not a problem?
48 A. Yes.
49
50 Q. So, in fact, do they actually test for it?
51 A. Yes, it is one of the things that is on this large
52 result that comes out from MAFF; chemicals of any kind they
53 are out looking for.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is this a rolling thing with MAFF? Do they
56 do it year after year and produce figures?
57 A. Yes.
58
59 Q. Or are they one-off surveys?
60 A. No, sir, it is an ongoing survey which runs into
