Day 295 - 06 Nov 96 - Page 27
1
2 MR. MORRIS: It is day 61, and I think it is in examination
3 in-chief. I am sorry, I have not had a chance to check.
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Very well.
6
7 MR. MORRIS: I have another reference for Mr. Oakley, pages 41
8 and 42 on day 61. It is possible that is what it is. I do
9 not know. Again, Mr. Oakley, day 64, page 70, this is
10 another reference. Question: "You have mentioned that
11 there had been a big reduction in the amount of pesticides
12 and fertilizers used by McDonald's suppliers, is that
13 right?". Answer: "I was talking I think at the time
14 specifically on potato growing". Question: "Does that
15 apply to other products as well or not?" That was
16 completely an open question. Answer: "It would apply to
17 iceberg lettuce growing". Question: "When did that change
18 take place?" Answer: "For both items?" Question:
19 "Yes". Answer: "Recently, within the last two years".
20
21 And I agree with the plaintiffs that the lettuce is hardly
22 a central issue in this case, but I think that that shows
23 some substance to the criticism of lettuce requiring
24 chemicals in its production.
25
26 If I can just say, document 93 of our original list of
27 documents is something from a paper called Chain Reaction
28 from the Hawthorne Community Forum in Australia. On
29 internal page 35, this is from 1979, I think it is the
30 second page in that document - yes, it is - it actually
31 lists the 12 chemicals on the lettuce in the first column.
32 And all I am saying on that is that this looks to be the
33 source material upon which that reference was based in the
34 fact sheet. At the end of the day, it does not really
35 matter either way, really, but....
36
37 Now, I know that Mr. Oakley referred to growth promoters on
38 day 61, pages 68 to 69.
39
40 If I could correct one thing I said this morning, having
41 checked, that it was Avoparcin that has been banned in
42 Denmark, which is one of the regular antibiotics which are
43 used as growth promoters by McDonald's. Well, in
44 McDonald's animals.
45
46 Furazoldone was under intense scrutiny by the European
47 Community, the EEC. There was some doubt over its future
48 status. All member states were asked to draw up.... It was
49 in the Medicines Act Veterinary Information Service,
50 MAVIS. I can't remember where we put this document, but it
51 was included somewhere. It may be in the paper that we
52 served before Dr. North came back. But the details were
53 in.... It looked there that it was going to be banned
54 anyway, Furazoldone.
55
56 In any event, I will refer to the evidence of Mark
57 Pattison, day 91, pages 31 and 35 to 37, where he said
58 Furazoldone had been the standard antibiotic used in the
59 industry and used at Sun Valley for many years. Is it
60 still used? No, it is not, stopped about a year ago.
