Day 295 - 06 Nov 96 - Page 27


     
     1
     2   MR. MORRIS:   It is day 61, and I think it is in examination
     3        in-chief.  I am sorry, I have not had a chance to check.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Very well.
     6
     7   MR. MORRIS:   I have another reference for Mr. Oakley, pages 41
     8        and 42 on day 61.  It is possible that is what it is.  I do
     9        not know.  Again, Mr. Oakley, day 64, page 70, this is
    10        another reference.  Question:  "You have mentioned that
    11        there had been a big reduction in the amount of pesticides
    12        and fertilizers used by McDonald's suppliers, is that
    13        right?".  Answer:  "I was talking I think at the time
    14        specifically on potato growing".   Question:  "Does that
    15        apply to other products as well or not?"  That was
    16        completely an open question.  Answer:  "It would apply to
    17        iceberg lettuce growing".  Question:  "When did that change
    18        take place?"  Answer:  "For both items?"  Question:
    19        "Yes".  Answer:  "Recently, within the last two years".
    20
    21        And I agree with the plaintiffs that the lettuce is hardly
    22        a central issue in this case, but I think that that shows
    23        some substance to the criticism of lettuce requiring
    24        chemicals in its production.
    25
    26        If I can just say, document 93 of our original list of
    27        documents is something from a paper called Chain Reaction
    28        from the Hawthorne Community Forum in Australia.  On
    29        internal page 35, this is from 1979, I think it is the
    30        second page in that document - yes, it is - it actually
    31        lists the 12 chemicals on the lettuce in the first column.
    32        And all I am saying on that is that this looks to be the
    33        source material upon which that reference was based in the
    34        fact sheet.  At the end of the day, it does not really
    35        matter either way, really, but....
    36
    37        Now, I know that Mr. Oakley referred to growth promoters on
    38        day 61, pages 68 to 69.
    39
    40        If I could correct one thing I said this morning, having
    41        checked, that it was Avoparcin that has been banned in
    42        Denmark, which is one of the regular antibiotics which are
    43        used as growth promoters by McDonald's.  Well, in
    44        McDonald's animals.
    45
    46        Furazoldone was under intense scrutiny by the European
    47        Community, the EEC.  There was some doubt over its future
    48        status.  All member states were asked to draw up.... It was
    49        in the Medicines Act Veterinary Information Service,
    50        MAVIS.  I can't remember where we put this document, but it
    51        was included somewhere.  It may be in the paper that we
    52        served before Dr. North came back.  But the details were
    53        in....  It looked there that it was going to be banned
    54        anyway, Furazoldone.
    55
    56        In any event, I will refer to the evidence of Mark
    57        Pattison, day 91, pages 31 and 35 to 37, where he said
    58        Furazoldone had been the standard antibiotic used in the
    59        industry and used at Sun Valley for many years.  Is it
    60        still used?   No, it is not, stopped about a year ago.

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