Day 079 - 27 Jan 95 - Page 61
1 batch which was E.coli by virtue of the machinery" or some
2 other kind of contact, but if you have not got something
3 like that one has to bear that in mind as well.
4
5 MS. STEEL: Sometimes when it looks like we are asking rather a
6 lot of questions, I know you have been fixed on this but
7 you have asked us not to keep one person getting up and
8 then the other, and sometimes it is difficult for me to
9 explain to Dave what I am wanting him to ask, so it
10 sometimes takes longer.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I appreciate that. You have been pretty good
13 at each of you keeping going for a while before the other
14 takes over.
15
16 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, only one other thing. Ms. Steel said she
17 was not aware that there were post-formation or finished
18 product microbiological tests. It is item 36 of the
19 quality control checks which is Appendix 1 to Mr. Walker's
20 statement.
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do have that. Let me just look for a
23 moment because I would not necessarily have known that was
24 specifically E.coli as well. That includes E.coli, does
25 it, number 36?
26
27 THE WITNESS: Yes.
28
29 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Bear in mind what I have said generally,
30 because it relates not just to the length of
31 cross-examination, it relates to what I have said about
32 drowning in detail a little while ago at the end of the
33 day. I have said what I wish to say.
34
35 MS. STEEL: Mr. Walker, I do not remember you saying anything
36 about this in court previously. So perhaps you can explain
37 to us exactly what tests are carried out on the finished
38 product?
39 A. Burgers are taken from each pallet. They are taken
40 back to the laboratory. They are emulsified to get a
41 maximum distribution, in other words, to get the best
42 result over a large area, and that meat is plated to see
43 what grows from it and it is injected into sugars like
44 mannitol, dulcitol and all the bacteriological sugars to
45 see what grows from it. It is a routine bacteriological
46 test.
47
48 Q. How many burgers was it per pallet?
49 A. You take about one burger from each pallet.
50
51 Q. Right.
52 A. From each box on top of the pallet.
53
54 Q. Each box?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. Every box?
58 A. Yes.
59
60 Q. And how many are there in a box?
