Day 098 - 07 Mar 95 - Page 28

     
     1        and so I was not involved five or six years ago with the
     2        things I am involved with now.
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can we put the fax away?
     5
     6   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, please do.  (To the witness):  But this area
     7        about health implications of residues, or whatever they
     8        are, that is something which is part of your
     9        responsibility, is it, in the plant, or you happen to be
    10        aware of?
    11        A.  I think it is prudent for me to be aware of those
    12        things in the industry, yes.
    13
    14   Q.   So why are growth promoters, hormone growth promoters,
    15        banned?
    16        A.  Presumably, because of the health implications but
    17        I honestly do not know.
    18
    19   Q.   This may be a daft question, if growth promoting hormones
    20        are banned, how do people selling their meat build up the
         weight of the cattle?
    22        A.  It is not really my field of expertise at all, I mean,
    23        nutrition.
    24
    25   Q.   So Midland Meat Packers does not enquire into nutrition,
    26        the types of feed the cattle are getting or whatever before
    27        they reach your ----
    28        A.  Not personally, no, I do not.
    29
    30   Q.   But does your company do that?
    31        A.  Not that I am aware of but, having said that, there are
    32        certain rearing programmes, if you like, or feeding
    33        programmes which will produce a certain type of animal, you
    34        know.
    35
    36   Q.   A healthy animal or whatever?
    37        A.  Or, you know, in terms of fat covering.
    38
    39   Q.   I was going to ask you actually about the fat colour of --
    40        I forgot to ask you about -- what Mr. Rampton called a
         "screw" cow, a very old, say, nine 10, 11 year-old dairy
    42        cow, what colour is the fat?  Can you identify from the
    43        fat?
    44        A.  Well, I mean, it is difficult to identify the age of an
    45        animal by the colour of its fat, if that is what you are
    46        asking, but the colour of the fat would be yellowy.
    47
    48   Q.   Is that one way you can identify, you know, because,
    49        obviously, an experienced person can identify the age, they
    50        do not ask the animal:  "How old are you?", or whatever, 
    51        but is that one method of identifying the age of, say, a 
    52        cow is by looking at the colour of the fat? 
    53
    54   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  This is after it has been slaughtered and
    55        dehided?
    56        A.  It is possibly a way, but I would not pretend that
    57        I could do it.
    58
    59   MR. MORRIS:  You do not know.
    60