Day 059 - 01 Dec 94 - Page 20

     
     1   Q.   Yes.  Let me ask you about those two people, Dr. Briany
     2        Thomas is a lady?
     3        A.  Yes.
     4
     5   Q.   What is her doctorship in, do you know?
     6        A.  She is a qualified nutritionist.
     7
     8   Q.   Are you confident that you are getting good advice from
     9        her?
    10        A.  Yes.
    11
    12   Q.   How do you rate the input of Professor Wheelock, as far as
    13        you can tell?
    14        A.  As far as we can tell, he has given us good advice on
    15        government legislation.  He has also given us good advice
    16        on a voluntary basis to reduce fats in our food products.
    17        Without any initiative from elsewhere, he has come forward
    18        and suggested we should reduce fats and additives,
    19        colourings and so on.  That is really where his main
    20        benefit has been for us.
    21
    22   Q.   Yes.
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  So the Leatherhead Food Research Association
    25        have analysed the menu items and then Dr. Gray is connected
    26        with them or is she employed by them?
    27        A.  I do not know if she is employed directly, but she is
    28        certainly retained by them.
    29
    30   Q.   Engaged by them?
    31        A.  Yes.
    32
    33   Q.   Has compiled the tables from the analyses which she made?
    34        A.  Correct.
    35
    36   Q.   Dr. Thomas in any event vets the end results?
    37        A.  She verifies the numbers in there, yes.
    38
    39   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I apologise for the confusion.  It arises
    40        from the fact that I had no idea of the existence of
         Dr. Briany Thomas.
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  But that is it?
    44        A.  That is the sequence, yes.  If could I explain the
    45        whole sequence?
    46
    47   MR. RAMPTON:  Yes, would you, please, because evidently I have
    48        not grasped it?
    49        A.  The McDonald's Quality Assurance Department takes
    50        products at random from our restaurants, usually a cooked 
    51        product.  They take those samples to Leatherhead or did 
    52        take those samples to Leatherhead Food RA.  Leatherhead 
    53        Food RA carry out the analysis.  Dr. Juliet Gray tabulates
    54        that analyses into a leaflet form.  Dr. Briany Thomas then
    55        verifies the information before it is published to make
    56        sure we are not publishing incorrect information.  That
    57        would be the complete sequence of events.
    58
    59   Q.   In this country, Mr. Oakley, the majority of restaurants
    60        are company owned still, are they not?