Day 012 - 18 Jul 94 - Page 35


     
     1        For example, we recently lowered sodium in our pork
              sausage by 32% and our pickles by 21%.  We take a lot of
     2        care with all our foods because taking care is what it
              takes to be smart."
     3
              Then it says:  "For more information", and so on.  Please
     4        turn over the page to 107, this is the explanatory page of
              the same advertisement:  "More about salt and McDonald's
     5        good food.  These days more and more people are aware of
              the amount of salt in their diet.  Here's how McDonald's
     6        food fits in with current thinking about sodium.
 
     7        How much salt is too much?  For the average person, the
              Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of
     8        Sciences recommends between 1.100 and 3.300 milligrams of
              sodium daily.  For reference one teaspoon of salt contains
     9        about 2,000 milligrams of sodium".  That kind of
              information, would that come from within McDonald's or
    10        will it have been provided by independent nutritionists?
              A.  In terms of the -----
    11
         Q.   Factual information?
    12        A.  It would have come from a nutritionist who had
              obtained the information, or we may have obtained it
    13        directly from the Federal Government in terms of
              publications.
    14
         Q.   "More than that is not recommended".
    15
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is that added sodium or does it include
    16        sodium in the actual foods?
 
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  It could be either, but I think one would have to
              take both together.  I am not sure about that.  "How much
    18        is a pinch?  Depending on which cook book you happen to
              have handy, you'll find a pinch of salt is about an eighth
    19        of a teaspoon. Or about 250mg of sodium.  In the case of
              our regular order of french fries, the average is 109 mg
    20        of sodium".  Do you know enough about the cooking of
              McDonald's food to know at what point the salt is, as it
    21        were, married to the potato?
              A.  Yes, I do.
    22
         Q.   The answer is?
    23        A.  After the potatoes have been cooked the salt is then
              added.
    24
         Q.   "In the case of our regular order of french fries the
    25        average is 109 mg of sodium -- all in all, quite
              consistent with a reasonable diet. 
    26 
              Order to fit your needs: The US Departments of Agriculture 
    27        and Health and Human Services dietary guidelines recommend
              you monitor your sodium intake. This chart provides the
    28        kind of information available for all our menu items to
              help you when ordering at McDonald's".  There we see a
    29        chart, do we not, Mr. Horwitz?
              A.  Yes, we do.
    30
         Q.   Which tells us the amount of calories, protein,

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