Day 024 - 15 Sep 94 - Page 35


     
     1        backwards.
     2
     3   Q.   What made you draw the conclusion that McDonald's food is,
     4        as a whole, not nutritious?
     5        A.  As a whole, the products McDonald's sold across the
     6        menu contained high levels of sodium, high levels of fat.
     7        In many instances one McDonald's meal would give you all,
     8        or virtually all, of the sodium and fat you should consume
     9        in a day.  There were some items on the menu that you
    10        could consume without adversely affecting your health, but
    11        by and large the products that were available at
    12        McDonald's were exactly the types of foods that should be
    13        avoided rather than consumed.
    14
    15   Q.   Can I just refer you just before lunch to a final -- on
    16        tab 36 on that file.  This is a memo headed "confidential"
    17        from Al Smedley of Golin/Harris Communications regarding a
    18        meeting set up by McDonald's with their public relations
    19        company.  It is a memo about nutrition.  Have you seen
    20        this memo before?
    21        A.  I have not.  I had seen a reference to it in the
    22        transcript of Mr. Horwitz's testimony, but I have not seen
    23        the memo.
    24
    25   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What I suggest is that you just take it out
    26        of the ring binder -- do not mark it in any way -- but
    27        take it away and read it during the break and we will come
    28        back at 2 o'clock.
    29
    30                       (Short Adjournment)
    31
    32                                                2.00 p.m.
    33
    34   MR. MORRIS:  This memo, I believe you said, you have not seen
    35        it before the litigation was when you saw the papers to do
    36        with this case?
    37        A.  That is correct.
    38
    39   Q.   Just rather than reading the whole thing out, it is a memo
    40        following a meeting between McDonald's representatives and
    41        their public relations advisers.  It opens up saying:
    42         "Suppliers Summit Meeting - We discussed organising and
    43        hosting a day-long 'nutrition strategy' meeting at HU
    44        university involving our major suppliers, who certainly
    45        have a vested interest in our nutrition concerns. If we
    46        just move on to point (3) Nutrition/Labelling Strategy and
    47        Statement."   Point (a):  "The issue battleground will be
    48        fought on four fronts -- marketing, scientific, operations
    49        and communications."
    50 
    51        Then (b):  "Any long-term strategy we look at for 
    52        McDonald's will probably incorporate:  1.  Product 
    53        changes; 2. Research; 3. Communications.
    54
    55        Point (c):  Out of the position or strategy we will have
    56        to develop the basic messages and decide how best to
    57        communicate. This could possibly involve advertising as
    58        well as media relations".  So, it is clear, is it not,
    59        they were planning a long term strategy here?
    60        A.  It appears to be, yes.

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