Day 059 - 01 Dec 94 - Page 26
1
2 Q. In these respects, for example, salads or salt reductions
3 or fat reductions, to what extent are you led, if any, by
4 what goes on in America?
5 A. We largely follow the American specifications. We do
6 not entirely follow their specifications. If we think it
7 is right for this market, we will follow it. But,
8 normally, a lot of the impetus comes from America
9 originally but not all of it. The reduction in fat in
10 cheese slices, for example, is purely a UK initiative which
11 is now being picked up, has been picked up by the rest of
12 Europe and is likely to be picked up by the rest of the
13 world assuming they could make that change.
14
15 Q. So, on questions of that kind, nutritional or compositional
16 question, is there an exchange of information throughout
17 the whole McDonald's worldwide organisation or not.
18 A. There would be an exchange Europe-wide. Then that
19 exchange is documented and it would go to the McDonald's
20 Headquarters in Chicago and then disseminated out to other
21 zones of the world.
22
23 Q. The Americans had (or perhaps still have, I cannot
24 remember) an item called a "McLean"; are you familiar with
25 that?
26 A. McLean Delux, yes.
27
28 Q. Do we have that here?
29 A. We do not, no.
30
31 Q. What is the reason why we do not have a McLean Delux in
32 this country?
33 A. To be honest with you, we did not think much of the
34 product and we did not think it would sell and that has
35 proved to be the case.
36
37 Q. I see. What about what some people all veggie burgers,
38 have you thought about those?
39 A. A lot. We currently have a lot of products under
40 development. We have tested vegetable McNuggetts in the
41 restaurants. To my knowledge, today there are at least 12
42 vegetable products under development, some of which are at
43 a very advanced stage. We have been working with them for
44 more than two years in most cases, and it is very likely
45 that we will be testing one or two of these products
46 in 1995 as a flavour of the month and, if they sell, we
47 will make it permanently on to the menu.
48
49 Q. I want to ask you what the reason is for your consideration
50 and, apparently, serious consideration of products of that
51 kind, vegetable products?
52 A. Well, there is a growing vegetarian population in the
53 UK. But, more importantly from our point of view, the
54 vegetarian people would tend to influence other people on
55 their choice of restaurants. So, if you had six people
56 going out for a meal and one was vegetarian, you would
57 obviously try to accommodate the one that was vegetarian.
58 Frankly, the menus to serve these people need to be
59 expanded. However, having said that, we do not see this as
60 ever being a very large market and certainly today it is
