Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 18


     
     1        which is referred to.
 
     2   Q.   Are you satisfied, so far as you are concerned, in charge
              of this company, that the standards which you require
     3        which you have just described are maintained?
              A.  I am not only satisfied that what I have described is
     4        maintained, I think over the years it has generally been
              attributed that McDonald's has raised the standard of the
     5        industry which services us.
 
     6   Q.   May I ask you a general question, Mr. Preston -- I could
              ask it at any stage, I ask it now -- it is a very large
     7        fastfood operation, yours, is it not?
              A.  Yes, it is.
     8
         Q.   31,000 plus employees, goodness knows how many customers,
     9        throughout the country, indeed throughout the world?
              A.  It is very large.
    10
         Q.   And you speak for this country.  Is it your position that
    11        in such an organisation mistakes can never happen?
              A.  Mistake do happen.  We are dealing with human beings;
    12        they are fallible.  But certainly the systems, procedures,
              checks and balances are in place so that if something
    13        happens, it is investigated, it is corrected, it is put
              right often at times with procedural changes to keep
    14        something from happening in the future.  It is monitored;
              it is looked after very, very carefully.
    15
         Q.   Arising out of that, Mr. Preston, can I ask you this:
    16        Following the outbreak of food poisoning in Preston,
              Lancashire, in 1991, which, I think I am right, appeared
    17        to emanate from a McDonald's restaurant in Friar's Gate in
              that town?
    18        A.  That is correct.
 
    19   Q.   It was quite a serious matter, was it not?
              A.  It was very serious.  It was treated seriously both
    20        by  -----
 
    21   Q.   That is what I was going to ask you.  Please can we take
              it slowly and in stages?  What was your reaction upon
    22        hearing about this?
              A.  I was very upset.
    23
         Q.   What did you personally do in consequence of that, so far
    24        as the company's operations were concerned?
              A.  I instructed the quality assurance arm of the company,
    25        the quality assurance arm of the purchasing department,
              the operations function, our health and safety officer, 
    26        local operations management and senior operations 
              management to examine anything and everything connected 
    27        with the store; make recommendations on productural
              change, if they found them to be necessary, and implement
    28        them accordingly.
 
    29   Q.   Just in the store or throughout the company?
              A.  Well, we started with the store and then we took it
    30        nationally and made changes thereto.  Equally, we launched
              the quality assurance people and the purchasing department

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