Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 39


     
     1
         Q.   But in terms of diet and disease, would you say that for
     2        McDonald's there is a trade-off between achieving safety
              and the costs involved?  Would you say that is a true
     3        statement regarding diet?
              A.  Let me put it this way:  If one was looking at a
     4        particular product with a view to reducing the amount of
              saturated fats, or the amount of total fats, and this is a
     5        proposal which is taken by the people in McDonald's, there
              are going to be other factors involved.  And, I mean,
     6        there is no doubt that these will include the question of
              whether or not it is feasible to do it.  It may include a
     7        cost factor and, of course, it may include a logistics
              factor.  For example, in order to reduce the amount of
     8        saturated fat in the chips, one way of doing this is to
              move from a solid fat to a liquid one, because the liquid
     9        one would have less saturated fat in it.  That then has
              implications for the way in which you handle it and that,
    10        in turn, may have cost implications.  Then, of course, the
              other factor to take into account is the taste of the
    11        final product, because if that is not acceptable to the
              customers, then they will not buy it.
    12
         Q.   Take, for example, all the recommendations about diet and
    13        disease say that fruit is good for you?
              A.  Yes.
    14
         Q.   Especially fresh fruit, yes?
    15        A.  Well, yes.
 
    16   Q.   And McDonald's care about nutrition and these matters,
              yes?
    17        A.  Yes.
 
    18   Q.   They take seriously the government recommendation and
              health of the nation?
    19        A.  Yes.
 
    20   Q.   So let us give one very simple example:  Tomorrow ever
              McDonald's in the country could have a fruit bowl as part
    21        of the choices for customers; it could happen in ten
              minutes in every McDonald's in the country.  So why do not
    22        McDonald's do that, or have you advised them to do that?
              You are a nutritionist; have you advised them that would
    23        be -----
              A.  No, I have not advised them to do that, but I think
    24        you have to consider these various proposals in the light
              of the type of business that McDonald's operate.  It is
    25        not, first of all, it is not necessarily easy just to
              provide that facility, because it has to be sourced and 
    26        arrangements have to be made for the products to be 
              purchased and distributed to all the stores, and various 
    27        checks have to be made to ensure that the correct
              standards are achieved and, at the end of the day, people
    28        have to purchase them.
 
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think this is getting down to argument as
              to what we are about.  I mean, if you can imagine a
    30        panorama of providers of food, at one end you might have a
              hospital whose kitchens are basically the only source of

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