Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 45


     
     1   Q.   A normal caterer, for example, you know a restaurant or
              something like that would not be able to provide very
     2        specific information, would they---
              A.  That is right.
     3
         Q.   -- because they have a far more varied menu?
     4        A.  You are dead right, so in that sense McDonald's are
              ahead of the game, are they not?
     5
         Q.   So McDonald's are in a position where they can provide
     6        detailed nutritional information?  They do come under the
              category of a retail outlet and they could provide that
     7        information in the form of a prominent display?
 
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is being put to you is, if you are
              getting your food on a plate, ready cooked and ready to
     9        eat, it is difficult to see how could you have any kind of
              label on it.  If you buy it in the supermarket,
    10        pre-packed, it is very easy to see ---
              A.  Yes.
    11
         Q.   If you produce it in a clam shell, or something of that
    12        kind, again it is easy to see how you could, if you
              wanted, have information on the clam shell.  Let us put
    13        cups on one side because they might contain a variety of
              drinks, and we have the confusion and mistake point.  But
    14        if you have a particular clam shell for a particular kind
              of burger, it is being put to you:  "Why not have the
    15        nutritional information on that?  Is that not consistent
              with what you are saying here?"
    16        A.  Yes.
 
    17   Q.   What do you say about that?
              A.  Well, first of all, I did not actually say that.  This
    18        is a quote which is taken from a government report.
 
    19   MS. STEEL:   But you thought it was particularly pertinent, did
              you not?
    20        A.  I thought the whole issue on nutritional labelling was
              particularly pertinent at that particular time.  What you
    21        have to recognise is that over the years there has
              actually been substantial progress in this area and, in my
    22        view, I think it was around about this time that
              McDonald's decided to produce the leaflet with the
    23        nutritional information, which gives a comprehensive list
              of the nutritional composition of the different products
    24        that are there.
 
    25        Now, in my view, this is perfectly adequate and perfectly
              reasonable.  Now, there may well be a case for going on 
    26        and putting it on the labels but, in my view, the 
              important thing is that the information is already 
    27        available, and that McDonald's are one of the first, if
              not the first company in the food service business who
    28        have done that, and I think they deserve credit for that.
 
    29   Q.   I will not go any further because I think we are just
              going around in circles probably.
    30
         MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  I am going to put that at the back of

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