Day 078 - 26 Jan 95 - Page 07

     
     1   Q.   So how much would an average steer weigh ?
     2        A.  10, 12 cwt.
     3
     4   Q.   How much of the meet would McDonald's use per cow or heifer
     5        or steer?
     6        A.  They would take the forequarter which is, each
     7        forequarter is about 70 to 80 pounds of boneless, and they
     8        would take the hind quarter flank, which is about 10 to 15
     9        pounds of boneless.
    10
    11   Q.   So what is that in total?
    12        A.  Well, it is about 95 pounds per side.
    13
    14   Q.   Per side?
    15        A.  Yes, of boneless beef.
    16
    17   Q.   What do you mean "by side", sorry?
    18        A.  Well, when an animal passes through an abattoir before
    19        it goes to the boning room it is split into sides and then
    20        it is split again into quarters, and McDonald's take the
         forequarter and the hind quarter flank and the hind quarter
    22        cuts, the gun bit cuts, which is the loin, the rump, the
    23        topside, the silverside, that goes to the retail trade, the
    24        retail butcher shop.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am sorry, your voice is going down again.
    27        A.  I am sorry, sir.
    28
    29   Q.   There is no need to apologise but try to remember and speak
    30        up.  Mr. Rampton asked you to bellow yesterday.
    31
    32   MS. STEEL:   So it would be 190 pounds per cow of beef that was
    33        used by McDonald's, per steer?
    34        A.  Yes.
    35
    36   Q.   Why do McKey specify that no goads should be used when you
    37        think that they are better?
    38        A.  Well, because it is an instruction from the principal
    39        customer, McDonald's.
    40
    Q.   But, I mean, if you think goads are a good idea, you could
    42        use beef from cows that had been goaded for your other
    43        customers?
    44        A.  Yes, but that is not practical, is it?  You cannot,
    45        I mean, you cannot have an instruction to the abattoir and
    46        the boning room for cattle and beef which are eventually
    47        coming into McKey Food Service and imagine that that combo
    48        of beef is for McDonald's and that combo of beef is for a
    49        supermarket.  It is not practical.  So, you have to take
    50        the instruction as it is given.  When we inspect an 
    51        abattoir we insist that there are no goads present.  What 
    52        I said yesterday is a personal opinion. 
    53
    54   Q.   So once the beef comes into your plant you do not
    55        differentiate between the source of it?
    56        A.  No.
    57
    58   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You know the source of it?
    59        A.  We know the source of it, sir, yes, but we do
    60        not -- I mean, as beef comes into the plant we do not sort