Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 57
1 E.coli, if we found E.coli, in a batch of meat we would
2 then check the meat of every batch of meat that is in that
3 blend, and the whole of that consignment, anything if we
4 could identify it, would be dumped.
5
6 MR. MORRIS: So E.coli is a special case?
7 A. E.coli is a special case because we will not release
8 any product unless it is what we call "positive release",
9 it is clear of E.coli.
10
11 Q. Clear from E.coli, but for any other bacteria the standard
12 is, is the concentration satisfactory, unsatisfactory,
13 passable, standard?
14 A. Unsatisfactory is very rare, you know. It is not a
15 common thing.
16
17 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Mr. Morris, are you going to ask or is
18 Ms. Steel going to ask about paragraph 18, otherwise I
19 will?
20
21 MR. MORRIS: As far as I am concerned, we have gone past that
22 stage.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I think we should have it in case there has
25 been any confusion. It says there that the unsatisfactory
26 meat will be rejected, and I have related that to
27 subparagraph 3 of paragraph 17. What did you mean there?
28 You see what I have in mind.
29 A. I can see that my Lord. The only thing I say there is,
30 sir, "badly" "unsatisfactory" it would be rejected. That
31 is the way I think I was thinking when I wrote that.
32
33 Q. You are absolutely sure you are right, are you, that meat
34 which -- you are absolutely certain, are you, that meat
35 where there is a total colony of more than 10 million per
36 gramme or per page 218 more than 5 million per gramme,
37 paragraph 6.1, because 5 times 10 to the power of 6, if our
38 understanding is correct, is 5 million?
39 A. Yes, sir.
40
41 MR. MORRIS: That is from 1991.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. But are you sure in your own mind that
44 it goes through to the production of patties?
45 A. I am, my Lord, because of the time factor that is
46 involved. It takes 24 hours minimum to get a result out.
47
48 Q. I appreciate that, but so it does for E.coli and they will
49 not have gone because of the positive release process on
50 E.coli?
51 A. Yes, sir.
52
53 Q. So, they will have kept them back long enough to have got
54 your bacteriological analysis, will they not?
55 A. Yes, is that is absolutely true, sir.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: But it is the E.coli that once it is found leads to
58 action because it is positive release?
59 A. Absolutely.
60
