Day 295 - 06 Nov 96 - Page 16


     
     1        So, really, we can treat it as if it does not exist, this
     2        E.Coli testing and the tying up of the bung, as far as the
     3        relevant dates in this case.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Well, that is not surprising, because it was
     6        not known that it was in this country, was it until
     7        Preston, as far as I am aware?
     8
     9   MS. STEEL:   I don't think there is any evidence that it was not
    10        in this country, just that-----
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, that it was not known that it was here.
    13        It was known that it was in the United States.  May be
    14        I have missed something, but I am not aware on the evidence
    15        -- someone may remind me if I have forgotten something --
    16        that E.Coli 0157H had been identified in this country
    17        before Preston.
    18
    19   MR. MORRIS:   I am sure it had been.  I am not sure if it was
    20        identified in burgers or not.  But one point was that, of
    21        course, the US problem of E.Coli was not communicated, as
    22        we have heard, to the UK -----
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   You have a point there.  What I don't think
    25        I had any evidence on was how easily these things come
    26        across great oceans, where people can transfer them to
    27        cattle and cattle can transfer them to people.  I know that
    28        people can transfer food poisoning organisms to food, and
    29        food can transfer them to people.  I know it goes that way,
    30        backwards and forwards.  Did we have any real evidence
    31        about that?
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:   I can't remember now.  Dr. North may have given
    34        some kind of historical background.  I can't remember now.
    35
    36   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   No.  Well, I have got to re-read Dr. North
    37        anyway.
    38
    39   MR. MORRIS:   Yes, OK.  (Pause) I am just checking my notes
    40        here.  Dr. North gave -- it is on page 21, the last
    41        reference -- indications about the amount of testing that
    42        would have to be done to find E.Coli if it was present.
    43
    44   MR JUSTICE BELL:   Yes, I remember that.  Which page is that on
    45        in the notes?
    46
    47   MR. MORRIS:   Page 21, at the bottom.  The point being that if
    48        they did find E.Coli on a couple of occasions, and if they,
    49        as they have admitted, had done the kind of substantial
    50        testing which was genuinely trying to seek if E.Coli was
    51        present, it may have been found a hundred or a thousand
    52        times for all we know.  It is significant that it was found
    53        twice despite completely inadequate searches.  (Pause)
    54
    55        Anyway, continuing to go through the document.  Page 53,
    56        the further reference up from the bottom, or the references
    57        at the bottom, really -- in fact, the whole of that page --
    58        from David Walker about the criteria of satisfactory,
    59        passable and unsatisfactory for beef supplies and, as we
    60        know now, beef arriving in an unsatisfactory category and

Prev Next Index