Day 037 - 14 Oct 94 - Page 30


     
     1
     2   Q.   It does not give any ingredients.
     3
     4   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  This is my difficulty with weazel words,
     5        because what you are really saying that the sentence is
     6        wrong?  A glance at the chart does not tell you what is in
     7        a McDonald's menu item.  It tells you some of what is in a
     8        McDonald's menu item; that is what you are saying?
     9        A.  That is absolutely right, yes.
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  It does not give ingredients.
    12
    13   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is "weazel" about that?  It is not even
    14        strictly true, you are saying?
    15        A.  Well, you have perceived that, but most people will
    16        not; most people will read that as meaning that here are
    17        all the important things you need to know about, and -----
    18
    19   Q.   I understand that.
    20        A.  These are not the important things you need to know
    21        about, but that is the impression that these words
    22        create.  I shall try to be more precise in future, not use
    23        that expression "weazel words" -- it is jargon after all.
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:  It is an imprecise term?
    26        A.  Yes.
    27
    28   Q.   This nutrition guide, I do not think we need to go into it
    29        any more.  As far as we can see, it is identical in the
    30        text to the one we have looked at before.  But this is the
    31        one, just for the court, for the record, I think this is
    32        the one which is referred to in the London Greenpeace Fact
    33        Sheet.
    34        A.  Yes.  Can I just mention at the beginning, these are
    35        phrases that do crop up time and time again in McDonald's
    36        publicity.  At the beginning of that page, "What we put
    37        into our food", again this is another sin of omission.
    38         "At McDonald's we believe food should do you good as well
    39        as taste good".  This phrase comes up again and again.
    40        "That is why we've based our menu on nutritious foods
    41        that are everyone's favourites: meat, bread, fish, eggs,
    42        milk and potatoes.  Just the sort of basics you make your
    43        meals from at home".  There are one or two rather
    44        important exceptions there, like vegetables and fruit, but
    45        because McDonald's are essentially not vendors of
    46        vegetables and fruit they omit them.  Again, it is
    47        misleading.
    48
    49   Q.   If we can put that away for the moment?  I think we have
    50        dealt with those points on the rest of that page and on 
    51        page 4 of your statement. 
    52        A.  Yes. 
    53
    54   Q.   If we go to item B on page 5 of your statement, I believe
    55        it is page 5.
    56        A.  Yes.
    57
    58   Q.   Just hold on one second while I collect my thoughts.  You
    59        mention five different McDonald's leaflets there and none
    60        of them mention cancer of the breast or bowel?

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