The bacteriological tests for salmonella which the company undertakes are part of McDonald's specification. In addition to these, consignments of meat on arrival are checked for other pathogens some of which are additional to those specified by McDonald's. All meat that has passed these two tests is retained by McKey for processing into Beef patties. As well as stringent quality control checks being carried out on meat at Abattoirs and on arrival at McKey when it is checked to ensure that it is of the highest quality and is free from pathogens, there are also annual checks on all staff by X-rays and stool checks to ensure that they are not salmonella carriers. Further if any member of staff returns from travel in the Far East there will again be checked stool tests for the presence of salmonella.
All products pass through metal detectors.
Shop cow' is cow meat which has white and not yellow fat, and which is young and firm. McDonald's specifications specifically excludes wet old cows. To explain the significance of this it is necessary to describe the beef industry. The dairy industry farms cattle for dairy herds principally for milk. When cows have had their calves the young calves are removed from the cow and the mother's milk is sent to the dairy.