Day 233 - 26 03 96 - Page 27

 
 

                                                                  DAY 233
 
                                                  HOWARD LYMAN, Examined:
 
 
 
     1        A.  I would say that from what I know on processing plants
     2        and the ones that I dealt with, I would assume for them
     3        that that terminology and the thing was that they were not
     4        out sourcing their product and importing it into the
     5        country.
     6
     7        I saw many processing plants that had product that, no
     8        doubt in my mind, was imported, whether they imported it or
     9        whether they ended up being a secondary recipient of that
    10        that was imported.  But I would say that what I saw in that
    11        contract, I think that there would be very little concern
    12        about a plant that was one of 120 or 50 that was
    13        supplying.  I do not believe that would have a great
    14        relevancy to them.
    15
    16   MR. MORRIS:  I want to see if we have any further questions.
    17        I believe we have finished.
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    20
    21   MR. MORRIS:  Just one thing from the original London Greenpeace
    22        fact sheet.  One of the sentences said: "In the
    23        slaughterhouse, animals often struggle to escape."  Have
    24        you got any comment on that?
    25        A.  I have seen animals that had the opportunity to
    26        partially escape.  They are absolutely terrified, almost
    27        impossible to recapture.  The only way that they could be
    28        calmed is to be killed.  They hunted them down, whether
    29        they were on the kill floor or whether they were in the
    30        slaughterhouse proper.  There is no doubt that those
    31        animals, when they went to slaughter, were terrified and
    32        would do anything within their power to escape -- no doubt
    33        about it.
    34
    35   MR. MORRIS:   No further questions.  Thank you very much.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Thank you.
    38
    39                  Cross-examined by MR. RAMPTON Q.C.
    40
    41   MR. RAMPTON:  Mr. Lyman, do you think you could please tell me
    42        what your understanding is of US law in relation to the
    43        labelling of imported meat?
    44        A.  US law has several different ramifications.  Number 1
    45        is that it states that anything that comes in labelled,
    46        carrying a label, the label should stay with it.  It also
    47        states that our acceptance is of the general practice of
    48        the country of origin.  If the country of origin's practice
    49        is to stamp on the outside of the box that it is a product
    50        of that country, we will accept that; it does not have to 
    51        be in the meat. 
    52 
    53        So there are various different levels of our law and what
    54        it is.  FIS, when they talk about it, it says that any meat
    55        that is labelled "USDA inspected" will be treated, without
    56        any other label on it, as domestic product.
    57
    58   Q.   On what do you base the last part of that answer?  Have you
    59        read the regulations?
    60        A.  I have read a memo to that extent, yes.
 
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