Day 299 - 13 Nov 96 - Page 43
1 not allowed to be used -- although we heard in one advert
2 that McDonald's had managed to achieve exactly the same
3 sound by using voices sounding like a race track; but
4 another way of blatant disregard of the spirit of the ITC
5 Code, which ITC let them get away with. The point I am
6 making is that the restrictions on the toys are recognising
7 that the toys do have a dramatic effect. This is the
8 statutory body recognising that the use of toys is a very
9 powerful incentive for children to want to buy what is
10 actually the real product, which is the food.
11
12 I think we heard that the use of toys in advertising for
13 promoting a food product is banned in Denmark. It may be
14 banned in other countries. But it is an example of this
15 being a recognised public issue.
16
17 I think we have touched upon it, but if I can just -- it
18 did come over in passing, that the added fat, salt and
19 sugar and high fat and sugar content of a McDonald's type
20 of food is part of the dressing up of poor quality food and
21 making it more attractive, which kinds of relates to the
22 advertising section, but not centrally.
23
24 MR. JUSTICE BELL: When you say added fat, you mean because it
25 is cooked -----
26
27 MR. MORRIS: It is high in fat. But do not forget that
28 McDonald's choose their fat levels of their food. It is
29 cooked in fat as well. Well, the burgers are not, but the
30 McNuggets are, and the chips obviously are -- and the
31 pies. But, also, the fat levels in the burgers are set at
32 very specific level.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I know that, and they keep to that level.
35 But did I have any evidence that the end result is more fat
36 than would otherwise be? It is just that the phrase
37 "added fat" has been used on occasions; and, apart from
38 the -----
39
40 MR. MORRIS: It is very fatty food.
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I know. If you had said "high fat", I would
43 not have interrupted.
44
45 MR. MORRIS: I think they have chosen to cook their products in
46 fat and they have chosen to have high levels of fat in
47 products which could have any level of fat -- not any level
48 of fat, but could have lower levels of fat -- and they add
49 fat, oil, to sauces, and we have heard how their salads
50 have a high fat content because of the dressings -- the
51 point being that, anyway, whatever the specifics of each of
52 these, what we have looked at in the nutrition section
53 about this can relate to the issue about the dressing up of
54 low quality food. That is what I wanted to say. It is not
55 just the packaging; it is not just the gimmicks.
56
57 Something which we did not mention, which is that the
58 counterclaim against the press release says, after saying
59 that the leaflet is a load of lies: "The leaflet states
60 that McDonald's aims most of its advertising at children."
