Day 294 - 05 Nov 96 - Page 12
1 abandoned the case because we had read all their witness
2 statements. Of course, we at the same time had our own
3 counter witness statements, one of which was Dr. North,
4 saying that it is quite fair to say meat, especially
5 chicken and minced meat -- sorry, especially chicken and
6 beef, especially minced beef, are responsible, I think he
7 said, for 68 percent, so he agreed with 70, of all reported
8 food poisoning incidents. So, et cetera, et cetera, it is
9 just common sense anyway.
10
11 We will have demonstrated in this case, we have
12 demonstrated in this case, in our defence against -- sorry,
13 not in our defence -- in our prosecution of our
14 counterclaim against McDonald's, how their system, their
15 ingredients that they use do carry a risk of food
16 poisoning, whether it is through acute or long-term risk
17 through residues and whatever. So that is kind of....
18
19 Now then, we come along to their meanings, the Plaintiffs'
20 meanings, the point about whether.... Actually, I have not
21 got the full meanings in front of me.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: They are 4H and 4F (?).
24
25 MR. MORRIS: Anyway, the important part ----
26
27 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I will just read what I have got, combining
28 them together ----
29
30 MR. MORRIS: It is "H", is it not, or "I"?
31
32 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Each of the Plaintiffs promotes the
33 consumption of meals at McDonald's when they know full well
34 that the contents could poison the children who eat them
35 and they each sell hamburgers which are very likely to
36 cause food poisoning.
37
38 MR. MORRIS: And "I" as well, about the uniformity. I have not
39 got the first part of "I". (Pause) It is use gimmicks in
40 their restaurants to cover up the fact that the food is of
41 low quality. In order to ensure that it looks the same
42 throughout the world, requires it to be treated with
43 numerous chemicals. Now, that is clearly not defamatory.
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No, you say that. I had not particularly
46 seen that as part of food poisoning.
47
48 MR. MORRIS: No, but it is the only place where they have
49 complained about the chemicals that -- I mean, I don't
50 think that meaning is defamatory at all in the Plaintiffs'
51 set of meanings. I mean, that is ridiculous, but the point
52 being that ----
53
54 MR. RAMPTON: I can say that I am not bothered about the lettuce
55 in this particular context.
56
57 MR. MORRIS: Well, I am glad of that because I am not bothered
58 about the lettuce either.
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I must say, I thought "I" is a moister squib
