Day 088 - 13 Feb 95 - Page 15

     
     1
     2   Q.   The vet, you said, is not employed by you?
     3        A.  No.
     4
     5   Q.   What other functions does he have?
     6        A.  At the meat plant specifically?
     7
     8   Q.   Yes, at the meat plant.
     9        A.  His first responsibility is postmortem (sic) inspection
    10        of the animals.  Then he is -- after the animal is
    11        inspected he then ensures that they are properly stunned.
    12        That is again his responsibility to monitor that and make
    13        sure that we handle the animals in a proper and careful
    14        manner.
    15
    16   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You say his first responsibility is
    17        postmortem examination, but he is -----
    18        A.  Sorry, antemortem, sorry.  I beg your pardon, sir,
    19        wrong way round.
    20
    MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It is definitely not postmortem?
    22        A.  Yes, I apologise
    23
    24   Q.   In the centre of the brochure.
    25
    26   MR. RAMPTON:  No, I was going to say, looking at that veterinary
    27        officer in the white helmet and the white overall in the
    28        middle of the brochure, and supposing that the pigs that
    29        had arrived came from one of your outside suppliers, not
    30        your own farms, and supposing that he saw a pig that showed
    31        obvious signs of having been mistreated by the farmer, what
    32        would he do about it?
    33        A.  If the animal had been mistreated by the farmer, he
    34        would immediately take action about it, and there have been
    35        cases where the farmers have been prosecuted in our
    36        industry -- I am pleased to say not at our factory.
    37
    38   Q.   Not?
    39        A.  Not at our factory.
    40
    Q.   Never?
    42        A.  Never.
    43
    44   Q.   Have you ever yourselves had to take up with one of your
    45        supplying farmers the question of animal welfare?
    46        A.  Yes, we have.
    47
    48   Q.   In what sort of circumstances?
    49        A.  We give advice on animal welfare to our suppliers and
    50        it is part of our buying conditions, the welfare code. 
    51 
    52   Q.   After the pigs have been eviscerated -- it goes scalding 
    53        tank, evisceration and splitting?
    54        A.  That is correct.
    55
    56   Q.   Have I got it right so far?
    57        A.  You have got it correct, sir.
    58
    59   Q.   Do we then come to singeing?
    60        A.  No.