Day 089 - 15 Feb 95 - Page 66


     
     1        salmonella get killed?
     2        A.  Salmonella are progressively killed as the temperature
     3        increases.  We know at a temperature of 52 to 53 which is
     4        the scald tank temperature, they survive in that.  As the
     5        temperature rises to about 58 then they start to be killed.
     6
     7   Q.   At 52ish are they likely to proliferate?
     8        A.  It is possible but it depends on the environment.
     9
    10   Q.   The tank, I take it, is wet so at least they have that aid
    11        to reproduction?
    12        A.  Well, that is correct, but the scald tank is not full
    13        for very long.  It is being agitated.  There is air being
    14        driven through it.  It is not an ideal medium, perhaps, for
    15        bacteria multiplication.
    16
    17   Q.   Scalding takes place before evisceration?
    18        A.  Correct.
    19
    20   Q.   In other animals we have learnt, and it may be so of
    21        chickens, I do not know, evisceration is a stage of the
    22        process in which contamination by faeces or whatever of the
    23        meat is particularly a problem or may be?
    24        A.  Yes, it may be.  Contamination occurs through the
    25        rupture of the intestinal tract and any bacteria which are
    26        in it can contaminate any part of the carcass.
    27
    28   Q.   So if you are unlucky and you rupture the intestinal tract
    29        of the one chicken in 100 that salmonella affected -- we
    30        are still talking about whole chickens at this stage?
    31        A.  Yes.
    32
    33   Q.   Could you contaminate the meat of that chicken?
    34        A.  Correct.
    35
    36   Q.   Are there any other stages of the process at which
    37        contamination is potentially a particular risk?
    38        A.  I think salmonella is a very adherent organism and,
    39        although we wash the carcasses quite thoroughly, it is
    40        difficult to remove all the organisms.  The other main
    41        point at which cross contamination can occur is during the
    42        deboning process where the meat is taken off the carcass.
    43        This is all done by hand.  Also the sorting of the meat
    44        after it has been removed a lot of this is done by hand to
    45        check for bone contamination.  I am sure that this is where
    46        cross-contamination can occur.
    47
    48   Q.   That is, in a sense, a slightly different problem, is it?
    49        That might be contamination by contact with the environment
    50        whether human or a surface or something? 
    51        A.  Well, I think it is contamination from carcass to 
    52        carcass using the human being as the mechanism for 
    53        conveying that.
    54
    55   Q.   There comes a stage at which different pieces of different
    56        birds are married up to make a product, does there not?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   No doubt if you have a piece of meat which is contaminated
    60        for whatever reason, whether before it gets to the plant or

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