Day 025 - 16 Sep 94 - Page 12
1
2 Q. No, I thought you did not mean that. You do not mean, do
3 you, that such food is toxic or poisonous, do you?
4 A. In excessive quantities, it certainly can be.
5
6 Q. But without the qualification of excessive quantities, you
7 are not suggesting McDonald's food is poisonous, are you?
8 A. Am I suggesting that? No, I do not believe it is.
9
10 Q. Then why yesterday did you tell Ms. Steel that people want
11 to be reassured they are not poisoning their children when
12 they take them to McDonald's?
13 A. I was speaking a moment ago for myself. I was
14 speaking yesterday for American consumers who do believe
15 that by giving their children excess fats, sodium and
16 cholesterol, they are poisoning them.
17
18 Q. You take your own children to McDonald's, you told us
19 yesterday, Mr. Gardner?
20 A. As I told you, I do not believe I am poisoning them.
21
22 Q. Why should anyone else believe that McDonald's food is
23 poisoning them?
24 A. Because they have an entitlement to their own beliefs,
25 Mr. Rampton. I do not judge them for them. I merely try
26 to find out what their beliefs are and let them act on
27 those beliefs. Not me and not McDonald's.
28
29 Q. Let us try to work it through, Mr. Gardner. If people
30 should believe that McDonald's food was poisonous taken in
31 moderate quantities, they would be mistaken, would they
32 not?
33 A. In my opinion, they would be.
34
35 Q. Yes. It is, therefore, desirable, is it not, that such a
36 belief should be destroyed or obliterated because it is
37 not a good thing that the public mind should have false
38 illusions about food that it eats, is it?
39 A. I see no harm in people believing that McDonald's food
40 is poisonous even in moderation, Mr. Rampton; I see no
41 benefit either, but I see no harm.
42
43 Q. Mr. Gardner, I think you also told us yesterday that if
44 you have a typical McDonald's meal -- I am not using your
45 exact words -- during the course of the day you very
46 likely get about one half of your allocation or
47 recommended daily amount of fat and of sodium. Do you
48 remember saying that?
49 A. Something to that effect, yes.
50
51 Q. Something to that effect. I think that was a fair summary
52 of what you said. You went on to say (and I have no
53 quarrel with you) that having eaten that meal during the
54 course of that day you must be careful what you eat for
55 your other two meals during that day; is that right?
56 A. Yes.
57
58 Q. That is what you told us yesterday?
59 A. Along those lines, yes, sir.
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