Day 095 - 02 Mar 95 - Page 08
1 systems -- this is a form that when we go and do an audit
2 we verify all those things and make sure that happens. If
3 everything is OK, we give a certification certificate. If
4 it does not, then we develop an action plan to make sure
5 that it will happen.
6
7 Q. Under "corrective action" in the lower part of the form, in
8 the left hand column, "corrective action"---
9 A. Yes
10
11 Q. -- the third one says: "Were action plans developed and
12 implemented to prevent a recurrence?" The answer is: "All
13 except freezers and cooker temperatures". Is that
14 something that is acceptable then?
15 A. I do not know what the -- let me just go back to see
16 what it was. No, it is not cooker temperature. We do not
17 have cookers for beef patties. We do not cook our beef
18 patties. It says: "Except for freezers".
19
20 Q. What is it, "cooler temperatures"?
21 A. "Cooler temperatures" means that we chill our meat as
22 low as we can prior to grinding, that is, as long as we can
23 to zero degrees centigrade. So, that by the time it goes
24 to the cooler we do not have to use a lot of C02 that we
25 use to chill the meat.
26
27 That is one of the requirements. We require the suppliers
28 to have the thermostat set in the coolers that people
29 inspecting those, so that we have the right range of
30 temperature when the product is in the cooler.
31
32 The same for the freezers, we require that the freezers be
33 at minus 18 degrees C, so that we keep the quality of the
34 patties to our standards which are far better than what the
35 standard for the industry. It is the same principle. It
36 does not represent a safety, food safety risk in any way,
37 shape or form.
38
39 Q. But they have not implemented your suggested action plan?
40 A. No, it does not say that. I do not see where it -- no,
41 maybe, yes, maybe that, yes.
42
43 Q. So would that be something that you would strike off a
44 supplier for; you would not get supplies from them any
45 more?
46 A. No, no, no. This is a minimum thing. I do not know
47 the details of what is behind this, but we make
48 recommendations. We make different types of
49 recommendations. We understand that everybody has
50 priorities. We understand that there is a need to
51 prioritise things. Those things that have the high
52 priority will be food safety, for example. That is a
53 high -----
54
55 Q. Right, freezer and cooler temperature could have
56 implications for food safety, obviously, could it not?
57 A. Yes, it could, but not on this what is described here
58 under these terms, it does not represent a food safety
59 hazard. I cannot speculate on what is behind all of this,
60 but these are things -- this is well advanced, if I may
