Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 18

     
     1        it comes back with a count above the specification?
     2        A.  Yes.
     3
     4   MR. MORRIS:  What, in reality, do you do?  Are you basically
     5        relying on the customer?
     6        A.  I do not know what happens.  I do not know the process.
     7
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you chase the meat or do you leave it up
     9        to the customer to do his own testing?
    10        A.  In the case of McKeys, I would leave it to the people
    11        at McKeys to know but, I would not necessarily -- having
    12        said that, I must say that I would not expect a count of
    13        that, as I say, that magnitude on that product.  If the
    14        situation arose, I think I would probably inform McKeys.
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  Right.  So, something that was above 5,000,000, it
    17        definitely should be rejected; is that the position?
    18        A.  Sorry, could you say that again?
    19
    20   Q.   If you found something above 5,000,000, that would be
         something which you, as a responsible company, would say:
    22        "That has to be rejected" if that was the TVC count?
    23        A.  Different people have different specifications.
    24
    25   Q.   That is McKeys' specification?
    26        A.  Yes, we would be concerned, I think, if we found a
    27        count that high in a product like that.
    28
    29   Q.   You would be concerned because of health risks, basically?
    30        A.  Yes, absolutely.
    31
    32   Q.   You said the temperature of the meat when it leaves or, in
    33        fact, at all stages is paramount in terms of -- we are
    34        talking about health risks now, yes?
    35        A.  Yes.
    36
    37   Q.   You said that it has to leave under four degrees
    38        centigrade?
    39        A.  Yes.
    40
    Q.   Is that your specification or is that McKey's
    42        specification?
    43        A.  It is McKeys accepted specification.
    44
    45   Q.   Do other customers have different specifications?
    46        A.  Yes, they do.
    47
    48   Q.   So if something was over four degrees when it was about to
    49        leave your plant what physically would happen?
    50        A.  It would be put back into the chiller until it was 
    51        below four degrees. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Is that just because you are scared of McKeys' criticising
    54        you or is it because you are concerned about health risks?
    55        A.  It would be fairly pointless to send it if it was going
    56        to be rejected, would it not, for a start.  But, I mean,
    57        obviously -----
    58
    59   Q.   Is it because you are concerned about health risks or is it
    60        because you are concerned about the money if you lose a