Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 23

     
     1        buy European Union beef from farms that or from abattoirs
     2        generally that conform with the European Union and EC
     3        approved standards.  McKey has an additional policy.
     4
     5   Q.   Does that mean that you buy from EC approved abattoirs,
     6        basically?
     7        A.  Yes.
     8
     9   Q.   So if an abattoir is EC approved, then McDonald's in Europe
    10        or in the UK can buy from it?
    11        A.  Can buy, yes.
    12
    13   Q.   You know about the company buying beef from Brazil?
    14        A.  I knew of the one occasion way back in, I believe, the
    15        early 80s.
    16
    17   Q.   Those abattoirs in Brazil, were they EC approved?
    18        A.  No, of course not.
    19
    20   Q.   I do not know; they might be.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They, presumably, only give approval to ones
    23        within the Community?
    24        A.  That is right, my Lord.
    25
    26   MR. MORRIS:  Do you know that for a fact, that there are no EC
    27        approved abattoirs outside Europe.
    28        A.  No, I would not say that.  You were talking about
    29        Brazil.
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They do approve outside the bounds of the
    32        Community then, do they?
    33        A.  If a certain country exports a lot of beef to Europe,
    34        they will approve a plant for that purpose.
    35
    36   MR. MORRIS:  Therefore, presumably, once they have approved a
    37        plant it fulfils all the hygiene and other standards?
    38        A.  Yes.
    39
    40   Q.   So then it would be OK for McDonald's to use that
         particular plant in Europe?
    42        A.  In Europe?  We are back to Europe again?
    43
    44   Q.   A plant that was outside Europe that was approved -- a
    45        special case it was approved -- would be OK to buy from
    46        under your policy?
    47        A.  If our policy was to buy from South America, yes, but
    48        it is not.
    49
    50   Q.   No, I do not mean South America.  I am talking about if 
    51        there is a plant that is outside the EC -- it could be, I 
    52        do not know, Israel or something; I do not know if you have 
    53        plants in Israel -- but it was an EC approved plant then it
    54        would be OK for McDonald's in Europe to buy from them?
    55        A.  Well, no, because there may be legislation to stop
    56        McDonald's from buying from there.  There are not many
    57        plants outside of the European union that do get approved,
    58        because beef generally from other countries does not come
    59        into the European Union other than on a strict quota basis.
    60