Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 51


     
     1        cannot help on that.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  Right.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  You will not just rely on the Daily Mirror;
     6        you will say you had information from other places as well.
     7
     8   MR. MORRIS:  Yes. (To the witness): Do you know that the ten
     9        level tea spoonfuls of sugar in the milk shake -- that is
    10        something I have seen in places and that is something you
    11        have heard as well as being the equivalent sugar amount in
    12        the milkshakes?
    13        A.  I have heard it but I do not know whether it is true or
    14        false.  I would be surprised if it is that.
    15
    16   MS. STEEL:   Can I just ask a question: I asked you something
    17        about other groups and people making criticisms of
    18        McDonald's over various issues the other day.  You were
    19        aware that McDonald's had also been criticised for the use
    20        of additives prior to London Greenpeace making criticisms?
    21        A.  I think additives in food have been a subject for
    22        discussion in many arenas for a long time.  The very
    23        purpose of having an E number is, when an additive is used,
    24        to tell someone in advance what is there. If they choose to
    25        go looking for what it is, it is a positive purpose for an
    26        E number not a negative one.
    27
    28   MR. MORRIS:  The next paragraph after the one I quoted in that
    29        column:
    30
    31        "McDonald's produce a nutrition leaflet for customers but
    32        they do not list their products ingredients.  I was told
    33        'if it became compulsory, we would be happy to do it, but
    34        it would take a lot of expense so prefer to wait for
    35        legislation'".
    36
    37        Was that the basic position at that time?  This was in
    38        1998?
    39        A.  I believe we did have ingredients listed.  You would
    40        have to show me the leaflet but I thought we had always
    41        listed what is there.
    42
    43   Q.   I think the first time was 1989 in the UK.
    44        A.  Well, you will have to show me because I do not recall.
    45
    46   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The only point which can be validly put to
    47        you relation to this, because we have had evidence on all
    48        those topics, is whether at or about this time around 1988
    49        you were not putting in complete nutritional details
    50        because of the cost and, therefore, your attitude was not 
    51        to put them in until legislation forced you to do so. That 
    52        is what has been put.  Do you remember that being the state 
    53        of the Corporation's mind?
    54        A.  I do not remember it being cost.  Cost has not stopped
    55        us from doing very many things.  I do not know why someone
    56        would have said it but I am really just not sure.  There
    57        may have been some financial reason, maybe a department did
    58        not have the budget in a given year, I do not know.
    59        Certainly if it was something demanded by customers
    60        necessary on a wide front, we would have done it.

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