Day 100 - 09 Mar 95 - Page 15
1 that we serve, if there was a failure in our systems, it
2 would affect a lot more than one customer.
3
4 Therefore, in the investigation you need to have really an
5 outbreak so one or more people suffering from that
6 condition. Then you can start to gather evidence and say:
7 "Ah, yes, well, they all ate at McDonald's on the same day
8 within the same period of time", whatever, "it is more than
9 likely that McDonald's was responsible for that case".
10
11 MR. JUSTICE BELL: But if you get one under-cooked chicken meal
12 that may cause someone within the next five to seven days
13 food poisoning?
14 A. We do not cook meals individually. We batch cook
15 products. So, it would be -- it is a possibility but it
16 would be highly unlikely.
17
18 MS. STEEL: Some areas of the grill are cooler than other areas
19 of the grill, are they not?
20 A. Very marginally so.
21
22 Q. There have been in the past?
23 A. A couple of degrees -- I think, five degrees Fahrenheit
24 which is a couple of degrees Centigrade is the tolerance.
25
26 Q. Some people are more susceptible to food poisoning bugs
27 than other people, are they not?
28 A. Yes, correct.
29
30 Q. So things like that, you could have an incident where it
31 just so happened there was only a limited number of burgers
32 that were under-cooked and of the people who got those
33 burgers there were only one or two that were susceptible?
34 A. It is a possibility, yes.
35
36 MR. MORRIS: So, the Preston food poisoning outbreak, you do not
37 accept that as proof of McDonald's responsibility?
38 A. I am personally?
39
40 Q. Proof?
41 A. Are you asking me personally?
42
43 Q. Yes -- no, well, yes, your department -- personally?
44 A. My opinion is that it was not fully conclusive, the
45 evidence.
46
47 Q. OK. So, by your criteria, even when you get a large number
48 of people who have had stool samples taken ---
49 A. We have never ------
50
51 Q. -- who have all eaten at the same store -----
52 A. We have never had that situation -- not to my knowledge
53 and not during my time at the company.
54
55 Q. Are you aware that the Public Health Laboratory Service did
56 an investigation, including medical records, of the people
57 that were victims?
58 A. Are you talking about Preston?
59
60 Q. Yes.