Day 039 - 20 Oct 94 - Page 41


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Listen to Mr. Morris, please, Dr. Millstone.
     2
     3   MR. MORRIS:  This is a suitable time to bring it up for the
     4        court's benefit.  It is volume VI of nutrition pink volume
     5        VI.  I do not think you have to get it, Dr. Millstone.
     6
     7   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just tell me what the point is.
     8
     9   MR. MORRIS:  Pink volume VI and is at tab 30.  It is a
    10        McDonald's document entitled Nutrition and Ingredient
    11        Issues, 1986, USA.  On page 59AG, whatever that is,
    12        handwritten bottom right-hand corner, an extract from the
    13        document:  "A question from a member of the public, a
    14        typical question and a typical answer from the company".
    15
    16   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.
    17
    18   MR. MORRIS:  The question is:  "'I have an allergy to BHA and/or
    19        BHT, artificial flavours and artificial colours.  What food
    20        can I eat at McDonald's?'  The answer from McDonald's:  'We
    21        have eliminated BHT, Sodium Nitrate and sulphating agents
    22        from all our products'."  Do you think that is a
    23        responsible approach in the USA by McDonald's?
    24        A.  Sorry, I thought I was being invited not to pay
    25        particular careful attention.  Could you repeat that
    26        statement?
    27
    28   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, I was suggesting you did pay attention to
    29        Mr. Morris and not to the document you were looking at.
    30
    31   MR. MORRIS:  "The question from a typical member of public is:
    32         'I have an allergy to BHA and/or BHT, artificial flavours
    33        and artificial colours.  What foods can I eat at
    34        McDonald's?'  The answer is:  'We have eliminated BHT,
    35        Sodium Nitrate and sulphating agents from all our
    36        products'."  Is that in the US -----
    37        A.  I think it must be characterised as an incomplete
    38        response because the question included a reference to BHA
    39        and the answer does not refer to BHA, which implies that
    40        BHA continues to be present in their products, and if a
    41        person has a specific sensitivity to that, then one might
    42        expect their attention to be drawn to that fact.
    43
    44   Q.   You say it partially a good development in 1986?
    45        A.  It is -- I would deem that to be a step in a sensible
    46        direction, yes.
    47
    48   Q.   Right.  If we move on then to the next compound which is
    49        Carrageenan?
    50        A.  Yes. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Could you very quickly summarise the case against 
    53        Carrageenan?
    54        A.  Well ----
    55
    56   Q.   Perhaps relevant to McDonald's?
    57        A.  The entire debate about Carrageenan, as I understand
    58        it, goes along these lines.  Carrageenan:  There are two
    59        kinds of Carrageenan; there is the original form extracted
    60        directly from seaweed which is called native Carrageenan,

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