Day 037 - 14 Oct 94 - Page 29
1 It is a phrase I return to time and time again. It is
2 misleading and unethical, and frankly it is dangerous for
3 consumers. I am sure it has misled many people.
4
5 Q. On the other page, which is the first page: "What we put
6 into our food", in the right-hand column it says: "So
7 whatever you choose to eat at McDonald's you can always be
8 sure of great taste, nutritional value and quality"?
9 A. Yes.
10
11 Q. Is that correct?
12 A. It is an outrageous claim; they could not substantiate
13 it, but it is good copyrighting. I say that, I am afraid,
14 with a rather cynical tone in my voice.
15
16 Q. The next document is, I think, No. 9, McDonald's Nutrition
17 Guide?
18 A. Yes.
19
20 Q. From July 1985.
21 A. Yes. I make the same criticism there about saturated
22 fat.
23
24 Q. Let everyone get hold of a copy of it first. At a glance
25 -- just hold on a second, it seems to be very similar in
26 the text to the last one, in which case I will not need to
27 ask you about it. Sorry, you make the point it does not
28 have any column for saturated fat?
29 A. No, that is right. But they do actually claim --
30 excuse me -- halfway the other page, they say: "A glance
31 at the chart will tell you what is in a McDonald's menu
32 item."
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have not found that. This is tab 9, where
35 does it say "A glance at the chart will" ----?
36 A. The page that begins: "What we put into our food",
37 second column: "Check for yourself"; underneath there it
38 says: "A glance at the chart will tell what is in a
39 McDonald's menu item". More weazel words, I am afraid.
40 It is true up to a point.
41
42 Q. Can you explain to me again what "weazel words" mean in
43 your terminology? I am acquainted with what "deceptive"
44 might mean, but what does "weazel words" add to
45 "deceptive"?
46 A. It adds a pertainer; it adds a gloss; while saying one
47 thing it very often --- implying one thing, it actually
48 says something else.
49
50 Q. Illustrate that with regard to this, how it works here?
51 I understand "A glance at the chart will tell you what is
52 in a McDonald's menu item", and we look at the chart and
53 it does not tell us how much saturated fat; I understand
54 that.
55 A. Literally speaking, that sentence is correct; it does
56 tell you. However, what is ----
57
58 MR. MORRIS: While we are on that subject, it does not point
59 out the fibre content, does it?
60 A. No.
