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?
