Day 067 - 15 Dec 94 - Page 09
1 Q. I am trying to find out from you what your specifications
2 are.
3 A. The intent of our -----
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I try to help? The impression it gave me
6 was that the questions on the questionnaire, I will call
7 them, rather than the chart, were directed to some
8 requirement of the Humane Slaughter Act?
9 A. That is correct. It is not -----
10
11 Q. Therefore, the next step I took was that if there was a
12 reference to something like clean drinking water while
13 waiting to go into the abattoir, not the strict words but
14 the words which Mr. Rampton read out a moment ago, that
15 that question was asked because that was a requirement of
16 the Humane Slaughter Act, and that if the answer was "no"
17 that meant that in Russia anyway they were not complying
18 with the requirements which the Humane Slaughter Act set
19 for the United States. If that is wrong, you had better
20 put me right because I think Ms. Steel's questions are
21 proceeding on that basis as well.
22 A. OK. Let me see if I can clarify. It is not a
23 requirement, it is a guideline. The intent of that form
24 was for us to look for potential areas of opportunity. We
25 do that because we care; McDonald's cares about the welfare
26 of the animals. To answer directly your question, if in
27 fact the animals do not have access to water while they
28 wait to be slaughtered, does that mean they violate the
29 Humane Slaughter Act? No, it does not mean that. Does
30 that mean they violated our spec. and they should be
31 terminated? No, it does not mean that.
32
33 MS. STEEL: If they were in America would they violate the
34 Humane Slaughter Act?
35 A. No, they would not. They will not be -- they will not
36 be prosecuted for that. They will not be terminated by the
37 US Department of Agriculture.
38
39 Q. So there is no requirement to provide drinking water?
40 A. Those are guidelines, and I think I said it before.
41
42 Q. Right. Do you have any specifications with regard to the
43 welfare of animals?
44 A. No.
45
46 Q. No?
47 A. Our specifications imply that we follow the guidelines
48 specified in the Humane Slaughter Act.
49
50 Q. But if people do not follow those guidelines no action will
51 be taken because they are only guidelines, they are not
52 specifications?
53 A. It will depend. There is no -- the Humane Slaughter
54 Act does not have specific numbers that you can pinpoint
55 that. It does not say that if the animal because it is
56 stressed, weighs X amount of pounds, then it is a
57 violation. It is subjective to our interpretation of those
58 guidelines. We make that interpretation, taking into
59 consideration the welfare of the animal.
60
