Day 024 - 15 Sep 94 - Page 35
1 backwards.
2
3 Q. What made you draw the conclusion that McDonald's food is,
4 as a whole, not nutritious?
5 A. As a whole, the products McDonald's sold across the
6 menu contained high levels of sodium, high levels of fat.
7 In many instances one McDonald's meal would give you all,
8 or virtually all, of the sodium and fat you should consume
9 in a day. There were some items on the menu that you
10 could consume without adversely affecting your health, but
11 by and large the products that were available at
12 McDonald's were exactly the types of foods that should be
13 avoided rather than consumed.
14
15 Q. Can I just refer you just before lunch to a final -- on
16 tab 36 on that file. This is a memo headed "confidential"
17 from Al Smedley of Golin/Harris Communications regarding a
18 meeting set up by McDonald's with their public relations
19 company. It is a memo about nutrition. Have you seen
20 this memo before?
21 A. I have not. I had seen a reference to it in the
22 transcript of Mr. Horwitz's testimony, but I have not seen
23 the memo.
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What I suggest is that you just take it out
26 of the ring binder -- do not mark it in any way -- but
27 take it away and read it during the break and we will come
28 back at 2 o'clock.
29
30 (Short Adjournment)
31
32 2.00 p.m.
33
34 MR. MORRIS: This memo, I believe you said, you have not seen
35 it before the litigation was when you saw the papers to do
36 with this case?
37 A. That is correct.
38
39 Q. Just rather than reading the whole thing out, it is a memo
40 following a meeting between McDonald's representatives and
41 their public relations advisers. It opens up saying:
42 "Suppliers Summit Meeting - We discussed organising and
43 hosting a day-long 'nutrition strategy' meeting at HU
44 university involving our major suppliers, who certainly
45 have a vested interest in our nutrition concerns. If we
46 just move on to point (3) Nutrition/Labelling Strategy and
47 Statement." Point (a): "The issue battleground will be
48 fought on four fronts -- marketing, scientific, operations
49 and communications."
50
51 Then (b): "Any long-term strategy we look at for
52 McDonald's will probably incorporate: 1. Product
53 changes; 2. Research; 3. Communications.
54
55 Point (c): Out of the position or strategy we will have
56 to develop the basic messages and decide how best to
57 communicate. This could possibly involve advertising as
58 well as media relations". So, it is clear, is it not,
59 they were planning a long term strategy here?
60 A. It appears to be, yes.
