Day 296 - 07 Nov 96 - Page 30
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2 MS. STEEL: I want to run through some of the evidence itself
3 and give specific references now.
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5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
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7 MS. STEEL: And split it up into the four sections that I
8 referred to this morning.
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10 MR JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
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12 MS. STEEL: Four sections of the meaning. The first one being
13 McDonald's food is very unhealthy because it is high in
14 fat, sugar, animal products and salt, sodium, and low in
15 fibre, vitamins and minerals. We argue that this assertion
16 is basically uncontroversial, and that it is right, and
17 that it has been supported by the evidence given in court
18 at this trial. I think in respect of this part of it, our
19 view is that the statement that the food is very unhealthy
20 is a comment, because I do not think that there is a
21 scientific definition in relation to individual foods and
22 whether or not they are unhealthy. There is obviously
23 widespread public perception and view about which foods are
24 unhealthy.
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26 If it is a question of fact, then the only definition that
27 there is to go by is the current dietary recommendations
28 made by governmental and health authority bodies, and
29 McDonald's would not fit into those recommendations. Their
30 products, the typical or average McDonald's meal, would not
31 fit into those recommendations. So, basically, by whatever
32 standard you judge it, be it widespread public view about
33 what is healthy and what is unhealthy or by scientific
34 definitions in relation to the diet or meals as a whole,
35 McDonald's food is unhealthy.
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37 Professor Wheelock accepted that McDonald's meals do not
38 come within dietary recommendations, although he makes the
39 point that dietary recommendations do not apply to
40 individual foods. That was on day 15, page 12. We would
41 say that the rider that Professor Wheelock added should be
42 considered in the light of two important factors: one is
43 that Professor Wheelock is not an independent expert
44 because he has been advising McDonald's over the last three
45 or four years as a consultant on nutrition amongst other
46 things, i.e., he has been advising on the implications of
47 dietary recommendations. A reference for that is day 14,
48 page 8.
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50 MR JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
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52 MS. STEEL: Therefore, when he said on day 14, page 9 that
53 McDonald's attitude to nutrition and diet is very
54 responsible, that cannot be taken at face value,
55 particularly because he said that his role is to "help
56 McDonald's tell their story". That was day 15, page 10.
57 In fact, he even accepted that his role was not truly that
58 of an independent expert witness, but really that of the
59 McDonald's consultant. That was on day 15, page 11.
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