Day 044 - 02 Nov 94 - Page 15
1 them. Is there any protocol that you consult them if you
2 want to say anything in an advertisement which relates to
3 nutritional quality, or does the company leave you to go
4 your own way?
5 A. No. Any time that we are going to relate to the
6 nutritional content or nutritional quality of our food, not
7 only would we relate to the people who are nutritionists on
8 our staff, but we would also want to get outside opinion as
9 well. In the day-to-day preparation of our advertising
10 that does not deal with those issues, we have no contact
11 with them.
12
13 MR. MORRIS: So what you are saying is that when it comes down
14 to actually portraying nutritional information, you take
15 great care, but the rest of the time when you promote
16 McDonald's food you are not interested in any nutritional
17 implications; is that correct?
18 A. We are interested in promoting either the programme or
19 the specific items that we are at that time merchandising
20 or communicating, yes.
21
22 Q. Yes. You claim that McDonald's is an organisation
23 committed to public health; and yet you are saying, are you
24 not, that for most of your marketing, you do not take
25 public health into consideration; is that correct?
26 A. As an individual, I-----
27
28 Q. As a department?
29 A. As a department, I believe that the advertising that we
30 do really has nothing to do with the questions you are
31 asking about.
32
33 Q. So you are saying that promoting your food in general does
34 not have any nutritional implications and health
35 implications?
36 A. That is correct; within the context of a promotion or
37 the context of a particular item, we are trying to get
38 people to come and participate, if they would like to have
39 that sandwich, yes.
40
41 Q. In the UK, McDonald's has said that they are committed to
42 supporting a report called the Health of the Nation, which
43 is a government report. I think there has been a similar
44 one in America in 1993. It is referred to in the US
45 Surgeon General's Report in 1988. So McDonald's position
46 in this country is to be concerned about public health;
47 and, of course, there are obligations, if one says that,
48 are there not, to show that in practice, for example, in
49 improving the nutritional content of a product or whatever?
50 A. That is correct, or providing information for those
51 that wish to have it, yes.
52
53 Q. Overall, marketing is a very important part of a
54 corporation's responsibility, is it not?
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. In the messages it is communicating to the public. So is
58 there a similar thing in the United States, that McDonald's
59 has made a public commitment to improving the health of the
60 nation or the diet of the nation?
