Day 064 - 08 Dec 94 - Page 56
1 what levels of fat people are advised against eating more
2 than that amount of?
3 A. I am not sure that our leaflets do. I think the
4 government guidelines surely do.
5
6 Q. So you are not aware of any McDonald's leaflets which
7 explicitly make plain the amount of fat that the government
8 and other health bodies recommend, the maximum level they
9 recommend?
10 A. No, not a McDonald's leaflet.
11
12 Q. Is there any reason for that?
13 A. No, we are under no obligation to the government. The
14 guidelines are target guidelines for the population; they
15 are not legislation.
16
17 Q. But the company is on record as saying it supports the
18 Health of the Nation?
19 A. Yes.
20
21 Q. The dietary recommendations in the Health of the Nation?
22 A. Yes, we do.
23
24 Q. You say that the company wants to support that and help the
25 nation's diet, would that be right?
26 A. I think we have said we want to serve more nutritious
27 food.
28
29 Q. Do you want to help people choose a healthier diet?
30 A. Well, of course. We would not lower fats and oils or
31 look at lowering sugars or sodium levels if we did not want
32 to.
33
34 Q. So, why not explicitly state in your documents the amount
35 of fat, the maximum amount of fat, percentage of fat, that
36 the government recommends?
37 A. There has been -- there is absolutely no obligation to
38 so, and I do not see what purpose it serves to be frank
39 with you.
40
41 Q. I appreciate there is no obligation, but just as an
42 organisation which you say is concerned to improve the
43 Health of the Nation?
44 A. We publish all of the nutritional data. People can
45 clearly see for themselves whether or not certain foods fit
46 into their daily diet. That is the reason we publish the
47 information.
48
49 Q. Is it not a fact that quite often the ingredients brochures
50 are not available in stores in this country?
51 A. I am not aware it is a fact.
52
53 Q. You agreed that they do run out on occasion?
54 A. I did agree that from time to time a store may run out
55 and may need to borrow from another store, or we may be
56 updating information and have withdrawn the leaflets until
57 such time as we can put the correct information out.
58
59 Q. So during that time there is no information available to
60 the customers?
