Day 021 - 29 Jul 94 - Page 08
1 Q. You remember your whole approach ----
2 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Table.
3 MR. MORRIS: - was your table and whether it fits in with the
recommendations that come out of the grey book; is that
4 correct?
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you asking if Professor Wheelock gives
specific advice on dietary reference values to the
6 companies?
7 MR. MORRIS: That is a good question, do you do that? Do you
advise McDonald's about government recommendations?
8 A. I give general advice on the current nutritional
thinking and on the implications that it may have for the
9 composition of McDonald's products.
10 Q. Do the actual recommendations in the grey book carry
weight in terms of the targets that are set there and
11 other matters?
A. Yes, that is something which is taken into
12 consideration and again I should point out, for the
record, that McDonald's has developed -- McDonald's in
13 this country -- has developed a corporate healthy eating
policy. This does include a recognition and acceptance of
14 the targets contained in the health of the nation which
are based on the recommendations in the report on DRVs.
15
Q. Would you say that McDonald's is ahead of the position,
16 the official position? In other words, are they trying to
set increasing nutritional standards ahead of the targets
17 which are established by such a body, or are they
basically running after the pack in terms of the standards
18 being set and McDonald's is trying to keep up?
A. Well, I do not think there is any way in which you can
19 relate the two aspects of the question that you have put,
because the fact is that there will always be products
20 which have got a higher concentration than the
recommendations which are, of course, for the total diet.
21 Again we have been over that ground. The contribution
which the products from McDonald's make to a total diet is
22 relatively small.
23 Nevertheless, if you have a product which, for the sake of
argument, has got 40 per cent as calories, 40 per cent of
24 calories as fat, and the target for total calories is 35
per cent, if you can move that from 40 to 38 or 37, then
25 you are still making progress in terms of the
contribution, at least in terms of the effect, on the
26 total diet in the country, at least for those people who
go to McDonald's.
27
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Granted that is so; I think Mr. Morris is
28 asking, does McDonald's keep on eye on things like the
grey book to see whether it would be a good idea to cut
29 down on salt or proportions of saturated fat or total fat
and so on, or not?
30 A. Well, again it is part of my role to keep McDonald's
informed of developments that are going on within the
