Day 111 - 30 Mar 95 - Page 42


     
     1        assumption that among general bacterial contamination which
     2        usually is off faecal origin when we deal with slaughtered
     3        animals, there are pathogenic bacteria as well.
     4
     5        So, I could not say with full confidence that those
     6        operations were the best possible. I was concerned about --
     7        well, my concern in general, my basic remit for the work is
     8        to protect public health and I had public health concerns
     9        as far as Jarretts was concerned.
    10
    11   Q.   As regards the management's attitude to your health
    12        concerns, what would you conclude?
    13        A.  Well, it varied a lot during the three weeks.  On some
    14        matters like I mentioned, the sterlisation equipment in the
    15        boning hall, the management seemed extremely co-operative
    16        and appreciated what I said.  In some other matters, like
    17        I mentioned, the boot wash, my professional opinion seemed
    18        to be disregarded completely by the management.  It varied,
    19        I must say.
    20
    21   Q.   One thing about the chillers before we move off the plan,
    22        I believe Mr. Bennett said something to the effect that it
    23        had been a provision or requirement they be chilled --
    24        sorry, not chillers, detained room, it be chilled,
    25        something like going back to 1987 or something.  What is
    26        your understanding of the requirements or the guidelines
    27        for chilling detained and condemned rooms?
    28        A.  It has to be refrigerated so that the carcasses are
    29        exposed to the same chilling as they would be if they
    30        proceeded on the line normally into the chillers.
    31
    32   Q.   What is that?  Is that a requirement? Is that a law?
    33        A.  At the moment, it is a statutory requirement in the
    34        Fresh Meat Hygiene and Inspection Regulations which came
    35        into force in their entirety in January 1993.  For EC
    36        licensed plants that has been a requirement already
    37        previously.  As long as the EC licensing has been
    38        necessary, that requirement has existed.  It has been in
    39        the EC Directives, basically.  As far as -----
    40
    41   Q.   So how does a plant get a licence when it is not complying
    42        with the Directive?
    43        A.  It gets a licence, pending these improvements that have
    44        to be made, that the inspector sees necessary, or it gets a
    45        licence on the basis of promises that have been made or
    46        whatever.  I have not seen the original licensing document
    47        for Jarretts, but I am sure that considering the
    48        requirements of the Directive, I am sure that there was
    49        mention about the fact that the detained room was not
    50        chilled and there was obviously a time limit set to when it 
    51        should be. 
    52 
    53        We have to remember that the temporary Derogations
    54        Directive that applies for non-export plants has nothing to
    55        do with Jarretts.  They could not legally get a derogation
    56        for anything that was any of the statutory shortcomings of
    57        the plant because the derogations only apply to plant that
    58        do not export.  They do not have a health mark to be able
    59        to health mark their meat for export.  They have a square
    60        stamp, whereas export abattoirs have an oval stamp.

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