Day 275 - 08 Jul 96 - Page 17
1 only one or two types that had a logo on them to indicate
2 that they were made of recycled paper. Obviously, this
3 relates to prior to 1993.
4
5 "I have also seen McDonald's own propaganda stating
6 that hygiene regulations prohibit the use of recycled
7 material in packaging which comes into direct contact with
8 food. Off-hand I cannot name the specific documents. I
9 could find it if I wanted to look but it is something that
10 we have referred to in court and put to witnesses. I have
11 also seen McDonald's own propaganda acknowledging that
12 HCFC's are a risk to the ozone layer but that they were
13 going to continue using them for the time being anyway,
14 which I consider to be very irresponsible on their part and
15 very arrogant in that they obviously consider their profits
16 to be more important than the health and value of life on
17 this planet.
18
19 "I have read numerous articles, books and pamphlets
20 and watched various documentaries on nutrition and health.
21 This has included reading a number of government health
22 education pamphlets which stated risks associated with a
23 diet high in fat and saturated fat content and low in fibre
24 vitamins and minerals, risks such as cancer and heart
25 disease, which obviously are not matters to be taken
26 lightly. Many of the articles in some books specifically
27 mention McDonald's food as being high in fat, saturated
28 fat, salt and sugar, and low in fibre and vitamins. I have
29 seen the government's dietary reference values which state
30 that no more than 33 per cent of our intake of calories
31 should come from fat and no more than 10 per cent from
32 saturated fat.
33
34 "I have seen McDonald's own pamphlet "Good Food,
35 Nutrition and McDonald's 1985", and at the back of that
36 there are eight typical meal combinations set out with
37 their nutritional values. According to my mathematics,
38 none of them would fall within the government guidelines.
39 I have also read the paragraph on page 8 about dietary
40 fibre adding bulk to the diet and therefore helping to
41 prevent constipation, the paragraph on page 9 concerning
42 the links between fat consumption and coronary heart
43 disease and the paragraph on 3 of the pamphlet which
44 acknowledges that there is a considerable amount of
45 evidence about the relationship between a diet high in fat,
46 salt and sugar and low in fibre, and disease such as
47 obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease,
48 stroke and some forms of cancer. I think it is extremely
49 oppressive of McDonald's to try and force us to prove
50 something they know fine well is true. This is just one
51 obvious example of McDonald's throwing its weight around
52 and trying to silence its critics in the hope that because
53 we have limited finances we will be unable to pay experts
54 for reports and consequently would lose that point."
55
56 Coming back to some of the things that I've received,
57 I've had an interest in nutrition matters since I think I
58 was about 15 or 16. I remember reading books about diet
59 and health, and also if I was ever in a doctor's or a
60 dentist's waiting room then I would always pick up any
