Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 11
1 you would like, what can be done about that?
2 A. Well, the first thing is that we will not use that
3 particular meat.
4
5 Q. You would not use it?
6 A. That is obvious. No, we will not. The second part is
7 we will work with him so that he can understand the
8 importance. We work with him so that he can share our
9 philosophy and our concepts. And if that does not work, we
10 just simply do not work with him.
11
12 Q. Is there any assistance of a material or financial nature
13 that you can provide?
14 A. Yes, we do provide a lot of assistance in terms of
15 providing resources. I could be one of those resources
16 where I can work with him, I can show him the technology,
17 I can recommend equipment, processes. We could have
18 agreements with him that sometimes will include: "OK, you
19 will purchase that equipment and we will pay for it
20 gradually throughout some of the years". We provide a
21 training. We provide a lot of resources with that
22 particular, with any particular supplier that we feel
23 comfortable with.
24
25 Q. Suppose he did not have a piece of equipment which you
26 thought that he ought to have because his equipment was out
27 of date or was not working well and it was not available in
28 his country because it was not made there, could you
29 arrange for him to import it?
30 A. We work with him. We have a very large network, a
31 distribution network, where we have the advantage that we
32 can move product around the world. We have people that
33 work with and know all the regulations, what it will take
34 to bring a product into a specific country. So, we have
35 those resources available to the supplier if he wishes to
36 follow that right.
37
38 Q. I want to move on to something slightly different and again
39 this is a general question: In this country and,
40 I believe, in the United States, the production of food for
41 human consumption is closely regulated by the government,
42 is that also true in the United States?
43 A. Yes, it is.
44
45 Q. How far is it true in other countries of the world?
46 A. In most countries it is closely regulated; in some of
47 the developing countries it is not.
48
49 Q. In those countries which do have such a regulatory
50 framework, does the government provide personnel in the
51 form of inspectors, or whatever they are, to go on site and
52 see what is going on in the food production establishments?
53 A. Yes, they do. They do provide staff that will verify
54 the regulations.
55
56 Q. Another slightly different aspect of the same question,
57 same sort of question, what about animal welfare? In the
58 United States I believe you have something called the
59 Humane Slaughter Act; is that right?
60 A. That is correct.
