Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 59
1 me to ask him?
2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I would like to know whether that is so and,
if so, which ones.
3
MR. RAMPTON: You did not start advising McDonald's until 1991,
4 is that right?
A. That is right. Yes.
5
Q. So it follows that what we have just been looking at has
6 no input from you, is that right?
A. That is right.
7
Q. What role do you play in the production of McDonald's
8 nutritional information?
A. Well, normally I would be asked to have a look at it
9 before it is finally approved, but I do not write it
myself.
10
Q. Suppose you came across something you thought was
11 scientifically incorrect or apt to mislead the customer or
anything else like that, what would you say about that?
12 A. I would create a great fuss and make sure it was
changed.
13
Q. Have you had to create great fusses in the past?
14 A. No. I might have had a comment, but there has never
been any occasion where there has been a fundamental
15 disagreement between me and the people who actually
produced it in the first instance.
16
Q. If you had to say something or if you have had to say
17 something to the effect, "Well, I do not think that is
quite right", do they pay any attention to what you say?
18 A. Yes.
19 Q. I want to come back to the anaemic school girls for two
reasons.
20 A. Is there a reference?
21 Q. No, I will give you the reference in a moment. On Friday
21st July, which is day 16, Ms. Steel put it to you -- my
22 Lord, the reference is page 11 at line 18 -- that
McDonald's did not put in their advertisement explicit
23 warning to the effect: "This food could damage your health
if it is eaten in large quantities." You said, which I am
24 sure is right: "No, they do not. I do not think there is
any disagreement about that." Then Ms. Steel put it to
25 you: "But I think you did agree that if people ate it two
or three times a day at least, it would be bad for their
26 health." You responded: "Yes. Can I say that we did
agree that that was just a hypothetical situation, and
27 perhaps I might just point out that if McDonald's are to
be criticised on those grounds, then you may remember that
28 we also produced evidence to show that people who are
vegetarians, vegetarian school girls, suffer from three
29 times the anaemia of school girls who are not
vegetarians. If you are going to criticise McDonald's on
30 those grounds, you ought equally to criticise the people
who are advocating vegetarianism for young school girls."
