Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 61


     
     1   Q.   We have seen it. Take my word for it, we have analysed
     2        leaflets that have got it in.  If you take your lead from
     3        America and you support, as you claim to do, the Health of
     4        the Nation initiative which is part of educating the public
     5        about diet and ill health, would you say it would be
     6        helpful to the customer if you did put dietary targets in
     7        your leaflets?
     8        A.  It may enhance what we are currently doing.  I did say
     9        to Ms. Steel earlier that when she said "Are you happy with
    10        this leaflet" that we can always improve it and we could
    11        improve it further.
    12
    13   Q.   Have you considered selling, for example, something like
    14        fruit in your stores, having a fruit bowl in your stores?
    15        A.  We have considered it.
    16
    17   Q.   What happened with that?
    18        A.  We found it was not very practical.  We are not quite
    19        sure how we would serve it.  It does not really fit in with
    20        the way we do business.
    21
    22   Q.   Why does it not fit in?
    23        A.  Well, you know the system fairly well.  We operate
    24        quick service restaurants in pre-packaged products over the
    25        counter.  If you put a fruit bowl in there there could be
    26        mayhem at the front counter frankly.
    27
    28   Q.   I do not quite follow that.  Here we have an item which is
    29        basically what you might call fast-food, fresh fast-food,
    30        an apple, for example, I would have thought that would fit
    31        in perfectly well.  Where does the mayhem come from?
    32        A.  Operationally we are not sure how we would handle it,
    33        that is what I am saying.
    34
    35   Q.   If you were concerned about broadening your menu and what
    36        you said in that leaflet about "having a responsibility to
    37        help our customers eat a healthy balanced diet and
    38        supporting the Health of the Nation initiative" which, of
    39        course, is strongly in favour of encouraging the
    40        consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, is it not?
    41        A.  As part of a balanced diet, yes.
    42
    43   Q.   Then something like a fruit bowl would be a good
    44        development?
    45        A.  Yes.  I do not want to prolong the answer and it is not
    46        quite as simple as you make out.  It is something we may
    47        consider again in the future.  We do have a fruit bowl in
    48        our staff restaurant which serves traditional McDonald's
    49        products.  The fact is the take-up from that fruit bowl is
    50        very small.  We try out lots of ideas through the 
    51        McDonald's restaurant in the headquarters.  It is not 
    52        something that jumps up at you and says "Wow! we must do 
    53        this".  It is very, very small take-up.
    54
    55   Q.   What have you done in reality since you said that you
    56        support the Health of the Nation initiative?
    57        A.  I think in reality we reduced the fat in cheese, and we
    58        changed to vegetable shortening.
    59
    60   Q.   That was as a direct result of the Health of the Nation

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