Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 36
1 2.00 p.m.
2 MR. MORRIS: Just a quick question on bulk, is it true that
chewing promotes the flow of digestive juices and that is
3 a generally a good thing?
A. It is not an area I have read up or studied in great
4 detail, to be honest. I would not want to comment on
that.
5
Q. Does sugar and sodium in foods make it more pleasurable
6 for people to eat, in your experience?
A. Yes, although it does depend on the level, I think,
7 particularly with sodium. There is, I think with sodium
there can actually be something of an acquired taste
8 because I know, for example ----
9 Q. Are we talking about salt when we talk about sodium?
A. Yes -- because I know some years ago when there was an
10 initiative by the bread industry to reduce the level of
sodium. I think in the first instance they reduced it by
11 10 per cent and then after six months they were able to
reduce it by a further 10 per cent, so that as the taste
12 adapted and they were not able to make it all in one go.
I think, to some extent, the same thing would apply to
13 sugar that tastes would adapt. I mean, I know that people
who stop taking sugar in tea find that if a few months
14 later they get some sugar in it by mistake it does not
taste very pleasant to them.
15
Q. So when they are used to higher levels of sugar and sodium
16 it is difficult to reduce?
A. To make a big change all at once, yes.
17
Q. Is that because the body when it eats the food it, kind
18 of, wants those levels?
A. I think it is probably more to do with the taste buds,
19 but again it is not an area I have a lot expertise in at
all.
20
Q. But it would be the taste buds that are seeking that?
21 A. I would think so.
22 Q. Right. Just one question on a survey which we do not have
a copy of, but may be you know of it, Diets of British
23 School Children, HMSO 1989: Are you familiar with that
document? It is a government survey on young people's
24 eating of large quantities of fastfood, such as burgers
and french fries, things like that?
25 A. I have heard of that, but I am not familiar with the
details.
26
Q. Right. Are you aware of what the conclusions were?
27 A. No.
28 Q. Are you aware of the British market research bureau/Mintel
survey in 1985, market research on who eats most fastfood?
29 A. No, I cannot recall having come across that one.
30 Q. I have not got copies of those, so ......
