Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 13

     
     1        suffered with an E.coli infection was a lady vegetarian in
     2        Preston.
     3
     4   Q.   Yes, I believe it is the case that E.coli can be
     5        transmitted if, for example, your children have been
     6        infected by it; you can get a secondary infection?
     7        A.  No, there is a much greater risk, especially according
     8        to the United States Department of Agriculture, that it is
     9        transmitted in milk rather than meat; hence, their
    10        revisions in their slaughterhouse regulations, that in the
    11        slaughter of cows it is paramountly important how the udder
    12        is removed.
    13
    14   Q.   Since that outbreak of food poisoning, you have now
    15        instituted the tying of the oesophagus and the bung,
    16        I think you said?
    17        A.  Yes.
    18
    19   Q.   What is the reason for that?
    20        A.  Good practice and learning from knowledge.
    21
    22   Q.   That is so that if any E.coli is in the gut, you would hope
    23        that it would be less likely to get out?
    24        A.  Yes.  There will be E.coli in the gut; there is E.coli
    25        in everybody's gut.
    26
    27   Q.   Yes, of the one that causes severe food poisoning, I am
    28        talking about.
    29        A.  Would you repeat your question?
    30
    31   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  Is E.coli of the number -- the
    32        dangerous pathogen with the number you gave yesterday,
    33        which I cannot now remember, is that in every gut?
    34        A.  No, not necessarily, my Lord.  It is in some people's
    35        guts and it is in some cattle guts.  It is E.coli
    36        0157 : H.
    37
    38   MS. STEEL:  A lot of the other ones you said yesterday were
    39        harmless, so it would not be you were tying the guts to
    40        prevent them gutting out?  This is the one that you are
         particularly concerned about?
    42        A.  Well, all pathogens can cause harm.  This particular
    43        one is the reason why based on the latest developments in
    44        thinking that people are concentrating on.  I mean, it is
    45        not something which -- it has obviously been there for ever
    46        and ever, Amen, but it is now something which modern
    47        medicine is concentrating on.
    48
    49   Q.   It is a serious worry, this particular E.coli, because it
    50        has a serious effect? 
    51        A.  No, it is not a worry in the food context if the meat 
    52        and the food is cooked properly.  E.coli is extremely heat 
    53        sensitive.
    54
    55   Q.   So you are not worried about E.coli?
    56        A.  I am not worried about E.coli as long as the meat is
    57        cooked properly.
    58
    59   Q.   So, it does not worry you; if you supply McDonald's with
    60        meat with E.coli in it, it is up to them to make sure they