Day 048 - 08 Nov 94 - Page 34

     
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     2   MR. MORRIS:  Not why can you not recall, but has your department
     3        been told not to advertise its food as healthy?
     4        A.  Of course not.  Can I give you an example?  It may
     5        help.  We advertise salads.  We did not advertise them as
     6        healthy, if you assume that they are healthy.  We advertise
     7        them as great tasting salads.  It is much more for those
     8        sorts of reasons that we advertise, not because something
     9        is healthy.
    10
    11   Q.   But you want to advertise your strengths, do not you?
    12        A.  We will always advertise our strengths.
    13
    14   Q.   So would you say that the fact that your products may or
    15        may not be healthy is not one of your strengths, then?
    16        A.  What we would be saying, in our nutrition leaflets and
    17        everything else, we communicate that our food is perfectly
    18        good for you, perfectly healthy, in terms of what we
    19        believe, as a company, will motivate people to come to our
    20        restaurants is the taste of the food and the experience
         they get.
    22
    23   Q.   So the public are not concerned about the healthfulness of
    24        products?
    25        A.  I did not say that.  I said what would motivate them to
    26        come to our restaurants, we believe, first and foremost, is
    27        the taste of the food, the convenience, the location and
    28        the fun that they can have there.
    29
    30   Q.   And healthiness of the product does not come into it, then?
    31        A.  Of course it comes into it.  They like to feel that
    32        coming to somewhere like McDonald's to get good quality
    33        food is part of their healthy diet.
    34
    35   MS. STEEL:  As a representative of McDonald's, and with the
    36        company being down on paper as supporting the Health of the
    37        Nation, do you think that McDonald's ought to be doing more
    38        to promote products that are in line with government
    39        recommendations?
    40        A.  Well, I am not sure what the government recommendations
         are.  I believe our products fit into part of that normal
    42        diet, as I am sure roast beef and Yorkshire pudding would.
    43        I do not see any emotional problem at all with our food.
    44
    45   Q.   If a meal -- a meal, as opposed to individual items -- if
    46        you were promoting something as a meal that was over
    47        government limits or recommendations for fat content, do
    48        you think that McDonald's ought to be promoting that kind
    49        of meal?
    50        A.  Well, I am not sure in what context that is. 
    51 
    52   MR. RAMPTON:  Perhaps Ms. Steel would like to identify the 
    53        government documents which makes recommendations for the
    54        fat content of the meals or food items?
    55
    56   MS. STEEL:  The Plaintiffs own witnesses, including
    57        Mr. Wheelock, have accepted that their products are high in
    58        fat.
    59
    60   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am just troubled as to whether this is a