Day 037 - 14 Oct 94 - Page 32


     
     1   Q.   I just want to show you a modern document to see -- just
     2        on their modern document called "Nutrition:  A question of
     3        balance", January 1994.  I do not know again where it is
     4        in the bundle.
     5        A.  Could I see that, please?
     6
     7   Q.   It may not be in the bundle.
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do not think it ever was, was it?
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  It may have been behind Tim Lobstein; I am not
    12        sure.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think he may well have referred to it, but
    15        it is the one I did not have a copy of.
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:  I have two spare copies.  The Plaintiffs have a
    18        copy. (Handed).
    19
    20   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I will put my copy at the very front of pink
    21        VI.  Yes.
    22
    23   MR. MORRIS:  This has been gone over by another witness, but
    24        I just want to refer you to a couple of sections, well,
    25        really it is the back page.  "What is best for you?" above
    26        the chart?
    27        A.  Yes, the phrase does crop up with monotonous
    28        regularity.
    29
    30   Q.   "Every time you eat at McDonald's you will be eating good,
    31        nutritious food."   Does that confirm your concerns from
    32        1985?
    33        A.  Yes, I am very sad to say that the words have not
    34        changed.  I would -- McDonald's do seem to change
    35        remarkably slowly in terms of innovating new products and
    36        responding to public concern.  What has happened in this
    37        country, which the entire population must be aware of, in
    38        recent years there has been a huge upsurge of interest in
    39        healthy eating; more and more people have been concerned
    40        about the quality of the food they are eating and the
    41        impact of that food upon their health.
    42
    43        McDonald's response to this, it seems to me, has been to
    44        appear to be concerned about healthy eating, to use the
    45        phrase "healthy eating", but not really to change very
    46        much; certainly not as far as their products are
    47        concerned.
    48
    49   Q.   They have made some changes, have they not?
    50        A.  Apparently they have here, yes; they do say, "We have 
    51        replaced the lard in our buns with vegetable oil".  This 
    52        is something that could have been done decades ago.  The 
    53        knowledge was there.  I suspect that it is only public
    54        pressure, particularly in countries such as the United
    55        States, that has actually forced McDonald's, perhaps
    56        rather grudgingly, to do these kinds of things.
    57
    58        Again, it illustrates the point I am making here:
    59        McDonald's do not respond in a straightforward marketing
    60        way towards consumer tastes and preferences and changing

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