Day 103 - 14 Mar 95 - Page 24

     
     1   Q.   Why is that box not filled in on the right-hand side.  Are
     2        they meant to fill in -----
     3        A.  I think that is the percentage above 500,000.  The
     4        actual specification is a maximum of 5 x 10 to the 6
     5        organisms.  That is the actual intake specification.  You
     6        have to remember that these are laboratory tests which are
     7        done after the meat has been taken in and used.
     8
     9   Q.   So the percentage above 500,000 should be logged to see how
    10        near the mark you are getting; is that correct?
    11        A.  That is, presumably, the function of that particular
    12        column, yes.
    13
    14   Q.   But I can count three of those figures that are above
    15        500,000, certainly the VDB average is 2.8 x 10 to the 6 and
    16        it is not marked, is it?
    17
    18   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I may not be following this.  Where do you
    19        get that?  I know you did it the other day.
    20
    MR. MORRIS:  It is the bottom left-hand chart of the three.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I have that.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  It is VDB on the left-hand side.  Along to the
    26        right we have 2.80 E, whatever that is, it says plus 06,
    27        but that is, presumably, x 10 to the 6, yes?
    28        A.  That is -- a computer writes it that way.  What means
    29        is 2.8 x 10 to the 6 organisms.
    30
    31   Q.   2.8 million per gramme?
    32        A.  Yes.
    33
    34   Q.   That is not marked; why is that then?
    35        A.  I cannot answer that question.
    36
    37   Q.   The highest in the high column, got VDB -- actually they
    38        are all 2.8 in the VDB column -- we also have the thigh
    39        meat; we have 7 x 10 to the 5, so that would be 700,000,
    40        but that is not logged either in the far column.  So, do
         you not really care about the quality of the meat as it
    42        arrives?
    43        A.  Well, I think that is a ridiculous thing to say.  All
    44        these checks are being done to indicate that we do go to
    45        very exhaustive lengths to do all the checks on this raw
    46        meat as it comes in.  The fact that we do a lot of
    47        laboratory tests as well gives us very good information on
    48        the quality of that raw material.
    49
    50   Q.   This is the sort of question I should have asked before: 
    51        When you do your McNuggets and your sandwiches, the 
    52        sandwiches are cuts off the same joint or the same bird, 
    53        are they?
    54        A.  The Chicken Sandwich is made from breast meat.
    55
    56   Q.   But is it made from the same chicken, or all the breast
    57        meat is sliced off and put in a huge container somewhere
    58        and then some of it is cut off?
    59        A.  Yes, that is correct.
    60