Day 269 - 25 Jun 96 - Page 76


     
     1        A.  The reality is that I have mentioned in my second
     2        submission what I thought to be really quite important was
     3        the perception that major food industries had about the
     4        risk of coronary heart disease and dietary saturated fats
     5        in the 50's and 60's and 70's and that Unilever was the
     6        leader in, at that time, introducing soft margarines which
     7        were low in saturated fats and high in polyunsaturated
     8        fats, and they have now I believe been given permission by
     9        the ECC as from this month -- I do not know what the date
    10        is in this month -- they are allowed to state on their
    11        packets that the use of the Flora margarine packet will
    12        contribute to lowering blood lipids and blood cholesterols,
    13        but I cannot give you the precise wording they are allowed
    14        to use but they are now allowed to make a claim for that as
    15        by an EEC directive.
    16
    17             Now, what I have to tell you about this chart here,
    18        which is most interesting, my Lord, is that I happen to be
    19        old enough to have been young and enthusiastic at the time
    20        it was happening and we used to have meetings as I have
    21        referred to in evidence with the Unilever people and they
    22        in fact sponsored several scientific meetings to discuss
    23        the matter, and there was Verbussum, who was one of their
    24        researchers on this subject, actually made the point in
    25        either the late '60s's or early '70s in public at a meeting
    26        that because -- rather, I think it would have been the mid
    27        '70s.  I could actually find out the precise time that it
    28        was made by phoning them up and asking them.
    29
    30             But the point he made was a very interesting one
    31        because at that time the European countries were responding
    32        to the recommendations that were being made in terms of the
    33        prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing saturated
    34        fat intake.  The sales of the Dutch and continental
    35        equivalents that Unilever was producing of soft margarine
    36        were going up substantially Verbussum actually made the
    37        point when a COMA committee came out with some very lame
    38        remarks about what we should do about the state of affairs,
    39        Verbussum made the point that we do not mind Britain coming
    40        out with these weak recommendations because we will, in
    41        fact, use Britain as a control country, and his prediction
    42        was that mortality would fall in the European countries and
    43        remain high in Britain, which is precisely what happened.
    44
    45             If you would like me to elaborate on the French
    46        paradox, I will be happy to do.
    47
    48   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I have lost you somewhere along the route.
    49        A.   I am sorry.
    50
    51   Q.   Could you just tell me in a sentence or two why then you
    52        would explain -- I mean, it may be that this is just a very
    53        blunt instrument anyway?
    54        A.   Yes, it is.
    55
    56   Q.   But assuming for the moment that, at face value, it would
    57        appear to be at odds with what you have been talking about?
    58        A.   Yes.
    59
    60   Q.   As you expressed it?

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