Day 037 - 14 Oct 94 - Page 21
1 bubble has burst, then they are in deep trouble.
2
3 So, I am afraid it is my considered opinion that
4 McDonald's nutritional information and apparent care and
5 concern about the health of their customers, indeed of the
6 British public, is actually very cynically based. It is
7 based upon very selective information. It is part of a
8 marketing strategy designed to protect their market,
9 perhaps even increase it, and, you know, to -----
10
11 Q. If we look at specifics, you are referring to "McDonald's
12 Food: The Facts" here where McDonald's actually do
13 recognise -- we should go to that volume, I think.
14
15 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
16
17 MS. STEEL: It is pink volume VI.
18
19 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Which one do you want me to look at?
20
21 MS. STEEL: It is No. 6 of that volume.
22
23 MR. MORRIS: I do not know what page it is in this document.
24
25 THE WITNESS: I would like to refer you to page 2 of that
26 particular publication, "McDonald's Food: The Facts".
27
28 MR. MORRIS: Let us make sure we have the same ----
29
30 MS. STEEL: "A note to our valued customers"?
31 A. Yes.
32
33 MR. MORRIS: You said page 2, we are looking for that
34 particular quote.
35 A. I just draw your attention to one sentence on page 2,
36 please, which is something I think needs to be borne in
37 mind. It starts: "A note to our valued customers". It
38 is from the President of McDonald's Restaurants.
39
40 MS. STEEL: The only trouble with that is that the page
41 numbering in the bundle is quite obviously wrong, because
42 there are more than 12 pages before it.
43
44 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The second of my actual pages of that
45 publication -- which is the part you want to refer to?
46 A. Just briefly, I would like to mention the end of the
47 third paragraph.
48
49 MR. JUSTICE BELL: "At McDonald's"?
50 A. Yes, just before there.
51
52 MR. MORRIS: Can you read it out, please?
53 A. "Our food is of the highest quality; our ingredients
54 prove it". If I just pause there to comment on that; that
55 worries me from a marketing and advertising point of
56 view. I am very much aware of what is called in
57 advertising "weasel words". Weasel words are words that
58 give one impression whilst actually doing something else.
59 They are very, very deceptive and misleading words; in the
60 same way you can have weasel sentences and weasel
