Day 103 - 14 Mar 95 - Page 22

     
     1   Q.   So the procedure is that a little star is put on and "bin
     2        rejected" is written; is that correct?
     3        A.  And the bin is sent back to the supplier.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is being put to you is that if the bin
     6        is rejected an actual note to that effect is put on the
     7        sheet?
     8        A.  Yes, that is correct.
     9
    10   Q.   You cannot just assume, it has been put to you, that
    11        because the summary reads 5.20, or whatever, the bin is
    12        rejected; there will be a little star and a note?
    13        A.  Yes.
    14
    15   Q.   You accept that?
    16        A.  Yes, I do.
    17
    18   Q.   So if we see 5.2 on another sheet with no little star and
    19        "bin rejected", we can assume that it was not rejected?
    20        A.  Yes, perhaps, yes.
    21
    22   MR. MORRIS:  That is quite high, is it not, 5.10?  Why do you
    23        reject bins over four degrees?
    24        A.  Well, that is just our procedure that we feel is the
    25        temperature that is acceptable for transportation of raw
    26        meat.  There is no legislative requirement; it is our own
    27        standard.
    28
    29   Q.   It is not acceptable above four degrees.  Some bacteria
    30        proliferates above four degrees, do they not?
    31        A.  Lots of bacteria proliferate above four degrees but
    32        very few.
    33
    34   Q.   They start proliferating at?
    35        A.  Very few will multiply at very low temperatures, and if
    36        you are thinking of listeria, in particular, then one of
    37        the reasons why we set four degrees is because listeria is
    38        one of the organisms that will grow at lower temperatures.
    39
    40   Q.   When do they start to proliferate, listeria bacteria?
         A.  They will start to grow around temperatures above five
    42        degrees and progressively the multiplication gets faster as
    43        the temperature rises.
    44
    45   Q.   Staphylococcus begins to proliferate at five degrees, does
    46        it not?
    47        A.  Yes, most bacteria will start to grow at lower
    48        temperatures but the multiplication is very slow.
    49
    50   Q.   Clostridium botulinum, does that have any presence at all 
    51        in any of the chicken? 
    52        A.  You do not find that on poultry meat -- very unusual. 
    53
    54   Q.   What about the spoilage bacteria, they grow at lower
    55        temperatures, do they not?
    56        A.  They do.
    57
    58   Q.   Do some of them grow at less than one degree or 0 degree,
    59        in fact?
    60        A.  They can do.