Day 294 - 05 Nov 96 - Page 12


     
     1        abandoned the case because we had read all their witness
     2        statements.  Of course, we at the same time had our own
     3        counter witness statements, one of which was Dr. North,
     4        saying that it is quite fair to say meat, especially
     5        chicken and minced meat -- sorry, especially chicken and
     6        beef, especially minced beef, are responsible, I think he
     7        said, for 68 percent, so he agreed with 70, of all reported
     8        food poisoning incidents.  So, et cetera, et cetera, it is
     9        just common sense anyway.
    10
    11        We will have demonstrated in this case, we have
    12        demonstrated in this case, in our defence against -- sorry,
    13        not in our defence -- in our prosecution of our
    14        counterclaim against McDonald's, how their system, their
    15        ingredients that they use do carry a risk of food
    16        poisoning, whether it is through acute or long-term risk
    17        through residues and whatever.  So that is kind of....
    18
    19        Now then, we come along to their meanings, the Plaintiffs'
    20        meanings, the point about whether....  Actually, I have not
    21        got the full meanings in front of me.
    22
    23   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  They are 4H and 4F (?).
    24
    25   MR. MORRIS:   Anyway, the important part ----
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I will just read what I have got, combining
    28        them together ----
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:   It is "H", is it not, or "I"?
    31
    32   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Each of the Plaintiffs promotes the
    33        consumption of meals at McDonald's when they know full well
    34        that the contents could poison the children who eat them
    35        and they each sell hamburgers which are very likely to
    36        cause food poisoning.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:   And "I" as well, about the uniformity.  I have not
    39        got the first part of "I".  (Pause)  It is use gimmicks in
    40        their restaurants to cover up the fact that the food is of
    41        low quality.  In order to ensure that it looks the same
    42        throughout the world, requires it to be treated with
    43        numerous chemicals.  Now, that is clearly not defamatory.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, you say that.  I had not particularly
    46        seen that as part of food poisoning.
    47
    48   MR. MORRIS:   No, but it is the only place where they have
    49        complained about the chemicals that -- I mean, I don't
    50        think that meaning is defamatory at all in the Plaintiffs'
    51        set of meanings.  I mean, that is ridiculous, but the point
    52        being that ----
    53
    54   MR. RAMPTON:  I can say that I am not bothered about the lettuce
    55        in this particular context.
    56
    57   MR. MORRIS:   Well, I am glad of that because I am not bothered
    58        about the lettuce either.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I must say, I thought "I" is a moister squib

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