Day 115 - 06 Apr 95 - Page 33
1 a section leader. Yes, that is what I had to do. I might
2 say, that another factor that one had to take account was
3 genetic differences because, for instance, some ethnic
4 groups did not react biochemically the same as others.
5 Also, in my research activities in other respects where
6 I have had to deal with hospitals and universities, groups
7 that are studying this, I have had to use my knowledge in
8 those projects as well.
9
10 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Thank you.
11
12 MS. STEEL: Two days ago there was reference made to the
13 indications of an effective captive bolt stun; in your
14 experience, do the people in the slaughterhouse have
15 sufficient time to carry out these tests and observations,
16 to check for effective stunning?
17 A. No.
18
19 Q. The other question I had was would that relate particularly
20 to fast throughput slaughterhouses?
21 A. More particularly, yes. In those general questions,
22 I am talking about mainly of pigs and cattle. I think you
23 had other testimony on poultry.
24
25 Q. The other question I wanted to ask you is you were saying
26 something about The Soil Association system being less
27 intensive and Mr. Rampton interrupted you. Can you just
28 say in what way it is less intensive?
29 A. Well, the first thing that comes to me is actually with
30 poultry -----
31
32 Q. With pigs, if you stay on pigs?
33 A. Yes, I was going to try to think. Yes, they
34 have stricter rules on stocking densities which is an
35 important matter because it is a lot to do with the
36 environment of the pig and its ability to express its
37 normal behaviour, and also from its health point of view,
38 because then you get less transmission of disease.
39
40 In the case of cattle, if you wanted me to comment on that,
41 yes, they do have restrictions on the treatment of calves,
42 with dairy cattle. That is why I chose that example
43 because we are looking very much at dairy cattle and culled
44 cows and -----
45
46 Q. When you talk about "treatment", are The Soil Association
47 solely concerned with chemicals on the land or are they
48 concerned with ---
49 A. No.
50
51 Q. -- residues and things like that?
52 A. Yes, they are. They are concerned because their
53 animals have to be fed with organic -- there are a few
54 derogations -- but they have to be fed with organically
55 grown feeds. So, their interest goes to the residues that
56 might be in the feeds or might not. Those residues might
57 then be transmitted to animals, to livestock.
58
59 If you ask me, as a biochemist, what are the main dangers,
60 I would say always look out for the fat soluble things,
