Day 100 - 09 Mar 95 - Page 29
1 pounders patties have been increased by two and six seconds
2 respectively between 1990 and 1991, and following the
3 Preston incident the cooking times were lengthened still
4 further. Do you know how many times cooking times have
5 been increased, since you can remember anyway?
6 A. The cooking times for beef burgers -- meat patties?
7
8 Q. Yes, in-store.
9 A. To my knowledge, it has been increased twice.
10
11 Q. When was that?
12 A. The first time was in 1991 and the second time was in
13 1993.
14
15 Q. Just to refresh my memory -- it has been dealt with,
16 I think, by Mr. Atherton -- the procedures for checking
17 whether sample burgers are cooked or not was changed to
18 replace the calibration checks with the internal
19 temperature thermometers. When were the internal
20 thermometers on finished cooked burgers -----
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When you went over to internal temperature of
23 the patty as opposed to time and temperature on the grill?
24 A. I think we started taking or recording the internal
25 temperatures in 1991 when the change in cooking time was
26 introduced. I have given you the answer to the best of my
27 knowledge. These are operational considerations, and I do
28 not have any jurisdiction.
29
30 MR. MORRIS: But you are from quality so you would have to know
31 about it?
32 A. That is right. We do. We cook the meat patties at
33 McKey's so, obviously, they have to follow the same
34 procedures that they follow in the restaurants.
35
36 Q. Do you want to turn -- I do not know if it has been put in
37 the witness volume but it should be pink volume VIII,
38 tab 18.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I only go up to 17 in my mine which is the
41 maintenance calendar.
42
43 MR. MORRIS: This was a document disclosed either during or
44 after Mr. Atherton's evidence.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Say what it is.
47
48 MR. MORRIS: It is the memo from Mr. John Atherton 20th May
49 1993. I have written "tab 18 section C" on it which is
50 what I was told.
51
52 THE WITNESS: Yes, I have got that. It is hidden behind -----
53
54 MR. RAMPTON: My Lord, it is easy to miss because it is behind a
55 great folded chart. It should be the last tab in
56 pink VIII.
57
58 MR. MORRIS: Before we read the documents, it is McDonald's
59 case, is it not, that the ultimate check or barrier to a
60 customer contracting food poisoning would be the cooking of
