Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 38


     
     1        of mind in terms of seeing whether it is true or false.
 
     2        If Mr. Rampton stops heckling and laughing and things,
              I can concentrate on what I am saying.  I did not
     3        interrupt him once in his long speech.
 
     4        Anyway, the rest of it Mr. Rampton did not comment on
              really.  I do not think they need much comment now.  We
     5        will be calling expert witnesses; one person who used to
              be the children's campaigner for the Vegetarian Society
     6        who spoke in hundreds of schools to children about
              advertising and burger consumption.  She will be giving
     7        evidence as well as Sue Dibb from the London Food
              Commission who has analysed the whole purpose of
     8        advertising and children and junk food and produced a
              report on it.
     9
              The last sentence, the last paragraph of that section, is
    10        quite important:  "Not a lot of children are interested in
              nutrition, and even if they were, all the gimmicks and
    11        routines with paper hats and straws and balloons hide the
              fact that the food they're seduced into eating is at best
    12        mediocre, at worst poisonous - and their parents know it's
              not even cheap".
    13
              McDonald's have said that what that says, if I understand
    14        it, is that the fact sheet is saying that hamburgers are
              very likely to cause food poisoning.  It also goes to
    15        meaning K, which is that:  "McDonald's promote the
              consumption of meals at McDonald's is a fun event but they
    16        know full well the contents could poison the children who
              eat them".
    17
              It says "at best mediocre" which is just standard.  I
    18        cannot think McDonald's could claim their cookery can be
              cordon bleu.  "At worst poisonous"; "at worst" means "at
    19        worst".  Obviously, the links between diet and ill-health
              are already established, we believe.  Certainly in the
    20        worst case scenario we will be calling a witness, one of
              the victims of the Preston food poisoning outbreak, in any
    21        event, where four people were hospitalised because of
              E.Coly poisoning outbreak.  I would like to add that
    22        E.Coly is a very serious food poisoning.  It is not just
              tummy ache, or something, and it is on the rise in this
    23        country, and that it should be taken seriously.  I am sure
              McDonald's are concerned about hygiene, but it is still
    24        true because of the food-poison outbreak and fair comment
              because of the type of food they are serving.
    25
              The next point is the animal section.  The animal section, 
    26        as has already been stated by Helen and by myself when 
              I said that it was the same in the leaflet which is 
    27        virtually identical distributed by another group in this
              country for ten years is really down to a matter of
    28        opinion and fair comment.  I do not why we are being
              prosecuted on that, frankly.  If the problem was torture
    29        and murder like it was when they asked the Veggies to
              change the words from "slaughter" and "butchery"; yet now
    30        they are saying that is neither here nor there and of
              course, they would not prosecute anyone for having a valid

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