Day 002 - 29 Jun 94 - Page 36

     
     1        everybody's information, that their meanings, many of
              them, on all the issues are inaccurate and implausible on
     2        what the fact sheet states, although, of course, there is
              an area of debate because they did not write the leaflet
     3        and nor did we.
 
     4        But one of the meanings they say it is defamatory is to
              say they sell synthetic chips.  I believe that is coming
     5        up next.  Although it says "synthetic chips", I do not
              think anybody believes that the writer of that pamphlet
     6        meant that they sell plastic or reconstituted, chemical or
              non-vegetable -- you cannot eat anything apart from
     7        vegetable or animal matter.
 
     8        So, it is clearly a poetic term to describe the effects of
              eating their chips, in that they lack in bulk; they are
     9        treated with sugar and lemon juice, I cannot remember
              exactly, but the effect is a long way from the original
    10        conception of what chips should be.  The rest of that
              paragraph is not really very important; whether it is
         fastfood or junk food.
 
    12        Again with the next paragraph, the allegation is not that
              they add water to -- as far as I understand it, it is a
    13        simple matter that under their own admission that 48 per
              cent of a Quarter Pounder is moisture, and that we are not
    14        alleging that they are adding water.  It then talks about
              cravings that people can get from this kind of a diet high
    15        in sugar and sodium content.  We think that is fair
              comment and we have a witness who will argue that.
    16
              "Getting the Chemistry Right":  This is about their use
    17        of gimmics, "Happy Hats", muzac, gimmicky dressing up of
              low quality food and the uniformity which McDonald's have
    18        admitted that they do have uniformity specifications
              worldwide.  They are proud of that.  We think, though, it
    19        says something about our case of mass production and
              consumption.  But they use gimmics to basically hide the
    20        low quality of the food.
 
         It specifically says that -- we have had a dispute about
              this in terms of discovery -- they have had or have used
    22        lettuce which has been treated with chemicals in order to
              ensure the right colour, the right crispness and
    23        preservation, and whatever.  Because, of course, of their
              uniformity and their mass production, they have to use
    24        these kinds of techniques to make it look and taste the
              same.
    25
              It is not our case that McDonald's have put these 
    26        chemicals on necessarily themselves, but that they are 
              looking for suppliers that can supply what they need. 
    27        They have specifications and their suppliers know this.
              It is part of the whole point which we are making in the
    28        leaflet about turning agriculture into agri-business for
              mass consumption and the inevitable consequences of that.
    29        That includes pesticides and fertilizers for that
              purpose.
    30
              The next section is exploiting children with their