Day 032 - 06 Oct 94 - Page 53


     
     1        about reformulation of products and cooking methods.
     2        I think if it were to talk about the needs of the public,
     3        it might well argue for greater transparency than this.
     4
     5   Q.   We went over the more recent leaflets in terms of what was
     6        stated there by McDonald's about their food.  If we look
     7        at the text of this leaflet, do you think it would be fair
     8        to say similar sorts of things, looking particularly at
     9        the first paragraph of "What we put into our food"?
    10        A.  Well, again they are using the argument that because
    11        they use basic ingredients that you might use at home that
    12        appear to be wholesome, therefore, the food they sell is
    13        similarly wholesome.
    14
    15   Q.   Looking at the paragraph just above "Check for yourself",
    16        do you think that is a -----
    17        A.  Nutritional value, it is a rather ill-defined phrase
    18        and I think is used more as a publicity and public
    19        relations attempt than anything more solid than that.  I
    20        do not think nutritional value is something people in
    21        dietetics would talk about.  They might talk about
    22        nutrient density and we have talked about that already.
    23
    24   Q.   Finally, to draw your attention to the back page of this,
    25        "Golden Rules for Healthy Eating", under the section
    26        "Where does McDonald's fit in?" at the very the last four
    27        lines, do you think that what is stated there is
    28        reasonable?
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Read it out aloud.
    31
    32   MS. STEEL:   "But McDonald's menu contains ingredients from all
    33        the food groups, all good to eat as well as being good
    34        news if you want to stay healthy"?
    35        A.  Yes.  Clearly, it is then a matter of how these foods
    36        and the proportions are actually served up, and that in
    37        part depends on the way in which they think meal
    38        combinations should be or could be eaten.  I think if you
    39        refer back to the plate you looked at a little earlier and
    40        contrast it in terms of proportions of fruits, vegetables,
    41        nuts and cereals with the sorts of foods you are getting
    42        in McDonald's meal combination, you will find that there
    43        is a discrepancy.
    44
    45   Q.   If we compared it specifically to the "a typical meal"
    46        combinations that we looked at earlier?
    47        A.  For example, yes.
    48
    49   MR. MORRIS:  Just going back to labelling or to ingredients
    50        information, how do you feel the best way of getting 
    51        ingredients information over to the public would be? 
    52        A.  I would imagine that the most direct method would be 
    53        to list ingredients on the actual cartons and packages in
    54        which the food is sold as we find in supermarkets and most
    55        other forms of food sales, apart from restaurant catering.
    56
    57   Q.   Do you feel that the fast food industry is capable of
    58        doing that?
    59        A.  I am sure it is capable of doing that.  Most of the
    60        food it sells is wrapped or packaged in some form, often

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